My friends and I took off to Colorado with two old trucks and an old VW bug on flat bed trailers, all of which belonged to our friend Luke, who tragically passed away just two weeks ago. He was only 26. He rolled his land cruiser, and it still feels unreal.
Luke was such a fun guy to be around. He was always a bright light, super kind, and hardcore in everything he did. He was always looking to improve himself, whether in art, sport, fitness, or just his general way of being. One of my favorite quotes from him was, “If I am not out there trying to better myself, what am I even doing?”
After his dad came into town to sort out Luke’s stuff, we realized that moving his vehicles to his family in Colorado could be a big help. Two of the trucks were at Tanner’s shop and the bug was at his place.
On the way there, we made a stop at the crash site. Seeing his tire marks and the chunks out of the asphalt where he rolled was surreal. Parts of his cruiser and broken glass were still there. It was the first moment it really hit me that this actually happened.
Luke was more of an “auxiliary friend” for me, as he was closer to Zach and Fumio, his roommates. So it wasn’t like we were hanging out every day, you know? But he always showed up at our gatherings and parties. I remember him coming to Theo’s Pokémon-themed birthday party and giving him a Gengar Squishmallow, which quickly became Theo’s favorite. He is obsessed.
Another memory is when he helped Paige move, wearing hilariously shredded shorts, joking that they were his “nice clothes” for the task. He was just always kind and fun to be around.
Luke’s family was incredibly grateful when we arrived with the vehicles. It felt good and was genuinely heartwarming to see that we could help in a tangible way. We spent some time at their house after the memorial service, sharing memories and offering support.
So now to the brutal part – the trip had its challenges. We had a flat tire on the trailer before leaving, but the tire shop fixed it for free after hearing our story. We left town late after watching a bike race and ended up sleeping on some grass outside a church in Vernal, UT – about halfway. The next day, we drove to Steamboat Springs, stopping at the crash site and attending Luke’s memorial service. Seeing photos of Luke with his dad on 14ers made me think of my own boys and our adventures. Messed me up. I had to look away after a few of those went by.
Getting a bit of a late start (since we were dropping off vehicles and hanging out a while – we didn’t want to rush things) but we were feeling good and thought we could make it back. BUT, around twilight, we SMASHED into a deer. Like obliterated it; damaging the borrowed truck and losing power steering and braking. We decided to sleep at the same church lawn – we rolled into Vernal at about midnight. So, we got all set up and slept hard – only to be woken by sprinklers at 3:30 AM. BUSTED. So, we figured the only thing we could do was get in and drive. Continuing our drive, we proceeded to hit a cute kitty cat. At this point, I looked over at Tanner and said, “We HAVE to stop killing things, man! I can’t do it anymore!” It felt so heavy and hard. We finally made it back to Provo around 8 AM, exhausted and emotionally drained. I think we really severely underestimated the emotional toll that this whole trip would take on us. We were wiped out.
This journey made me proud of my friends for showing up like they did. It was a bonding experience, reinforcing the value of friendship and support. Reflecting on this experience, I realize the importance of valuing the time we have. Life is unpredictable, and I want to ensure I am the best version of myself for my family and friends, always striving to have things dialed in. Honestly, this is a bit of WHY I started my little Cees Stuff website – I want to have things/thoughts/STUFF all in one spot for people when I am eventually gone. So, thanks Luke for the kick in the pants I needed to finally get this going.
Rest in peace, Luke. You are missed more than words can say. We will carry your spirit with us, always striving to better ourselves, just like you did.