Keep track of your friends -- you're going to need them in end.

Almost six years ago, I wondered to the sexy next-door apartment-style dorm, in hopes of meeting other new swimmers, to explore several keg party possibilities. Several guys on the men’s team met me downstairs, checked me in, and introduced me to the rest of the team. While that night ranks amongst the best, too many crazy moments to talk about, one sticks out in my mind: meeting Vanessa, the friend who introduced me to Phish. I had heard about Phish in high school, but preferred the Grateful Dead and Dave Matthews Band for whatever reasons I had at the time.

Fast forward one year and many great memories later, I was offered the opportunity to attend the July 4th, 1999 show in Atlanta with my USC swimming teammate Katrina, but choose the Dave Matthews Band show, also at Lakewood, three weeks later. It was there that I physically met Rob, a.k.a. LTR, who I had been trading music with the past year. Both he and Vanessa emphasized the coolness that was Phish and the up coming Big Cypress. Both assured me of their presence at Big Cypress, and I proceeded to convince my sister to attend. While they never made it to BC, my sister and I were introduced to a completely new and different lifestyle: the Phish. In fact, the infamous killahwave.etree.org began as soon as I arrived back in Columbia, with the motive of ASAP show acquisition.

She and I caught two more Phish shows during summer 2000, with Vanessa, Katrina, LTR, and many, many others. Then the hiatus announcement came – I remember watching the first Vegas webcast on my computer while studying for a test. NYE 2000 was a letdown in comparison to 1999.

Fast forward to February 2001, and the Trey Winter Tour announcement. My then boyfriend camped out all night at a small USC box-office for tickets because I had a program due the next day. Of course, I occasionally walked over there to hang out and to take a break from the doldrums of programming at the lab. Not only did we get second row seats for LTR, my friend Lilli, my ex and I, but we also got 8th row seats for Vanessa, Jen and Mark.

The trey show quickly approached, and brought an unexpected call from LTR: “I was in an accident on I-20, it wasn’t my fault, but the 4-Runner is totaled. I am going to wait for Jarrett, and grab a ride with them, but most likely won’t stay in Columbia tonight.” I was disappointed, but at least he was coming. I pre-partied with some other friends, Bino and Jonas, whose huge, central hangout house was teeming with trey going phans. Upon arriving at my then boyfriend’s house, LTR had arrived with a new Atlanta crew: Tim, Ian, David a.k.a. Sip and Jarrett. Eventually, we convinced them to stay the night, and the rest is history. I kept in contact with Sip and Ian, went to a number of shows with them over the summer and fall, and eventually started dating Sip in October 2001.

That summer was an important turning point in my life because I also was introduced to the peeps. I had been perusing many message boards while at my two jobs, but didn’t post much, especially at Phans.com. It was there that I met Kevin, who decided to introduce me to the peeps (and I am forever grateful that he did). Soon-thereafter, I met Frank, who thankfully convinced me to break up with my ex-boyfriend and to take a new, more focused direction in my life. The fall semester that followed was full of high’s, such as dating Sip, the SCI run and Oysterhead, and many lows, including a micro-managing boss’s wrath and failing two classes.

However, the accumulation of friends, both older and younger, the wisdom of the peeps, the unending faith and support from my parents and sister, and, of course Sip, formed an overly adequate support group that facilitated my unlikely computer science comeback, and resulted in eventual acceptance into graduate school. These wonderful people not only helped me realize my potential in many, many avenues, but also to accept my “outside-looking-in” tendencies instead of trying to be the center of attention in any one of my seemingly infinite interests. I am and will always be forever grateful.

Fast forward three years: Coventry 2004. Thankfully, most of the aforementioned people will be there to culminate the end of a significant part of our lives. Many of us will never see another show together, while the rest will seemingly fade into the sunset as we continue to chase the proverbial musical dragon. Notably missing are LTR and Marie, as their new baby has lead them in other directions, comparatively with the Dead bringing them together in the first place. Not seeing many of these wonderful people is what I will miss the most about Phish.