Tony Tran, or his more popular name “Tony the Pirate”, was one of my original friends from high school. And though it has been years since we have reconnected, he is very much in the same spirit of energy and confidence as he was when we first met.
In many ways, he was able to get along with most people in high school from all different social cliques, without being condescending or arrogant. He once got in trouble at school for wearing a Communist shirt with a hammer and sickle on it, which was a memorable moment in our high school chronicles.
Today, I had the opportunity to visit his beautiful bachelor pad, or as I’d like to call it, his pirate ship.
The coolest observation were some pepper plants he was growing together using UV lights to make a super-pepper, whose name I can’t even recall anymore. In many ways, Tony is always trying something new, living life to its fullest – whether it was biking in SF, getting piercings in unique areas, or being adventurous all around.
Something he said really stuck with me though – that despite all his social energy and his ability to communicate with others pretty effectively as an extrovert, he still needs time to recharge by himself through solitary activities like shopping, eating, or going to the movies. That resonated very deeply with me because as an introvert, social activities can sometimes overwhelm me if done in overdrive.
Anyway, I’m glad we still have a positive connection, and hope we can continue to visit and hang out with one another while we’re living in the same city. Good luck my friend with life.
My 4th unique meal of the year are Carne Asada tacos, which I created today!
