Durham Farewell Fiesta

Last night we had a pretty amazing “Farewell Fiesta” provided by a number of our closest friends here in Durham. It was a special (and surreal) night, as we were acutely aware of just how unique our circle of friends is here in North Carolina and how “real” the move is becoming. Suffice it to say we feel beyond grateful for the community we’re a part of here.

To wish us fond farewell, our friends put together a night that was a fun-fest of Zack and Tracy’s favorite Durham things. We were provided a creative riddle for each of the night’s segments – the first such riddle led us to our dinner destination: none other than our favorite cost-friendly Tex-Mex joint, Moe’s.

When Tracy and I pulled into the Moe’s parking lot and saw all our friends lined up, it was almost too much to bear – that little knot in the throat began to well and we knew we were in for an emotional, and great, evening.

Destination #2 brought us to the outdoor courtyard by our favorite local restaurant, Bocci. With Thursday night jazz music filling the air, it was the perfect backdrop for a group picture (including a veritable litter of pets). Instead of sitting down at one of the restaurants, the crew brought an ice cream cake from TCBY (home of the $1.50 Waffle Cone Wednesday!) and some delicious cupcakes.

To cap off the evening, a few of our closest friends from UNC days went back to the Whitehill’s house for a final toast and some good ol’ fashioned Rock Band. As I stood in their kitchen and looked some of our closest friends in the eyes, I tried to tell them just how much they mean to us, how hard it was to leave, and how we hope and pray we’ll find something similar (for it will never be the same!) in NY.

Somewhere in the middle of my off the cuff comments, the magnitude of the moment hit me. As a few tears trickled down my check, I was able to somehow express a sliver of what we’re feeling. It was a sublimely bittersweet experience – and one which I’ll not soon forget.

Alas, the tears were quickly replaced by the laughter of old friends, the screeching sound of my voice as I tried to hit the high notes on Boston’s “More than a Feeling”, and the silent understanding of the awesomeness of the evening and the friendships it celebrated.

Thanks for the special night, friends. Long live the Radius.

(To see all our pictures, go here)