One weird thing about life is that there isn't really a middle state on age, at one point you are young and at another point you are old. There isn't really a middle state, just a slow decline to "old" with signs along the roadway. Its hard to remember what exactly was the first sign of aging I can remember, but the moment it crossed a threshold where I was officially "old" was clear: Matt Talbert's wedding.
His wedding has been my top priority for the year, from the moment the year started I wanted to make sure I could be there in Maine which seemed like a difficult task for both the expense and the time away. His "save the date" magnet became my rallying cry for 2024, as his wedding had somehow become the biggest event in my life the last few years (since Finn was born). Why? Well because after going through a stage in my life with many weddings starting about ten years ago this one was the last "first" wedding. The end of an era. Also it was a major event tied to one of the few people from the high school era of my life I still kept up with, aka from a time I was truly young. I can remember going over to Matt's house before I was 21 to watch a Texas-A&M game, drinking his dad beer as he bragged about his gaming computer with a Voodoo 3 in it. This event felt like a conclusion of sorts for those memories.
The first night there me and Adam had some fun walking around and drinking at bars in the biggest town we would visit on the trip- Portland. We ate some decent food and met some decent folks. there were many people our age out and about in that bar scene at night which was a surprise. For the most part everyone seemed so excited about Bar Harbor and that got us both pumped about going. The area was very walkable and the hotel was cool with a 20th century typewriter theme. I really enjoyed Portland's big green parks and outdoor restaurants. I would go back there anytime.
The next day we headed to Bar Harbor with a stop at Stephan King's house. Most of this trip was just bonding with Adam, as we compared notes on our life and our memories with Matt. The landscape was very green but the towns were a lot of nothing, with the only recognizable parts being the suburb outlet malls you see anywhere in the US. The town of Bar Harbor itself is very much like an upscale Port Aransas, very isolated with plenty to do within walking distance. When we got to the resort I was impressed by how nice it was, it seemed very upper-class. The main building looked like something out of a Netflix historical show, and Adam's room had a great view of the bay and the nearby islands.
The day we arrived we were invited to a rehearsal dinner with the family that spilled into the pool area nearby. I got to meet with Matt's future family, especially his new brother in law, and talk about what life was like in rural Maine. Matt's family was there, and for me the main take away was how old his dad seemed. Even though my memories of being at his house in the early 00s didn't seem that long ago in my head it obviously was looking at how hard it was for his dad to get around. 21 is half my life ago after all. I had a really good time getting to catch up with Matt and his sister. Matt is one of those people who is always positive and always happy no matter when I see him, he just enjoys life so much. The wedding was the first time I had seen Matt since we met in Odessa back in 2022 and it was great to catch up.
When he moved away from Austin about four years ago it didn't really hit me what I would be missing, though to be fair I rarely saw him when he did live in Austin since he lived on the other side of it than I did. I remember one time during lunch while out in Austin I ran into him and we had an impromptu lunch date. Outside of this one lunch, and a planned trip with Adam and Jeremy to his place for a sleepover, I barely saw Matt in the many years we overlapped in ATX. That was why making this wedding was such a priority for me since last year, deep down I wondered if I would ever see him again afterwards.
The Saturday was the day of the wedding, and that morning Adam and I did some exploring to get a feel for the area. We went into the big national park a little bit, we found the beach (though it was too cold to get in), and we adventured around the shopping area to get souvenirs for family members. After we were done adventuring it was time to get ready for the actual wedding. During the wedding we all were given umbrellas because the ceremony was on a grass lawn, and it happened to rain just as they got started. After the ceremony the sun came out, and we went to the dining hall that had a great balcony with a fantastic view. Everyone got some fancy drinks and we mingled, and then after we sat down and got into the food. I had a steak, but many had full blown lobsters to take advantage of Maine's famous cuisine. For my part I just felt incredibly happy to be there, as I made the trip my big priority for the year and it had paid off. The next day most of the wedding party was planning to go on a harbor cruise, but we said out goodbyes as we planned to hit the park nearby. Afterwards me and Adam went for some extra drinks in a bar nearby to catch the A&M baseball game (this was a special season for A&M baseball).
Acadia National Park is one of those places you hear about your entire life, like Yellowstone. You could spend a week there, but we only had a day. I had researched trails and decided to start the day on one that was considered challenging and boy it was. We basically climbed a small mountain, using metal bars inserted into rocks to go up steep parts, there was a few times I felt in danger but mostly it felt exhilarating. Adam, being in better shape than me, stayed a few steps ahead of me but eventually we stopped in the "Beehive" to take pictures and rest. On the way down we hit a few intersecting trails that were less strenuous but offered great views and then found our way to "Cadillac Mountain" where the fog tried its best to block what were considered the best vistas at Acadia. We finished the day watching baseball in Adam's room. By then I was so worn out I almost feel asleep sitting up.
The last day we got up and headed back to Portland. We got a few pictures there in the day of the town, but had trouble finding a decent place to eat before we had to drop off the car. We made it to the airport together but Adam somehow had a different flight path back than me so we said good bye after the first leg of the journey. When I look back at the entire trip I realize that because Jeremy never showed up it ended up just being a bro trip with me and Adam, and I am glad I got some good one on one time with him during it all. We got to talk frankly about our lives, and our priorities and how to manage what for both of us isn't the 40s that we planned.
But mostly the trip was about making Matt a priority, and soaking up the last "first" wedding of my life. And in that regard it was a huge success.
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