Bienvenidos a Miami

I think everyone should have a best friend. Not just a person you have a long history with, but a real, true blue, knows where all the bodies are buried best friend! Best friends come at unexpected times in our lives and only get the title (as a grown up) when you’ve been through a life lesson (disaster) or two. My best friend is Dayliset Rielo.

Reunions with my Dayliset are the absolute best! Forget sleeping. Eating, cackling, (we specialize in that uncontrolled form of laughter that makes shoulders shake and arms flail) deep talks, (when you say all and everything with the assurance that the other person knows what is meant), giving (and receiving) unsolicited fashion advice HA! and adventures that involve careening through the night in cars and threatening to call the other’s set of parents, are all par for the course.

Driving to Miami, where Dayliset lives is a a bit of a trek from Tampa. I’m not a speedy driver. I enjoy taking my time winding my way down to the end of America watching the landscape change to something more tropical and closer to my island roots. The coconut palms were laden. The sky was this painfully bright azure blue dotted with such billowy cotton candy clouds that fairly demanded you reach up and scoop them up with a spoon. Fields of sugarcane appear over the flat landscape. Upon entering the city limits the pace quickens. I’m not a big fan of the Miami lifestyle (a little too conspicuous for my taste) but Miami a great getaway to enliven the senses with bold color, DELICOUS food and exciting atmosphere.

Between our busy lifestyles and hectic work schedules, Dayliset and I hadn’t seen each other since April of 2014. So much happened, I mean we knew what happened in between as we talked all the time. Our first in-person hug! Our first “sit down” (at Finka Table and Tap). GLORIOUS!

According to a recent WSJ article titled: The Secret Power of Reconnecting With Old Friends, “Research shows that psychological distress often causes nostalgia. People tend to experience this sentimental longing for the past when they are feeling sad, lonely, anxious or disconnected, or when life feels meaningless or uncertain.”

Over the past few years of increasing disconnect while in Saudi, I realized that it was my old friends - those who have done at least a 10 year loop with me have been my most prized possession. Indeed, when my first friend in life, Jacob Uitti found me via LinkedIn in 2018 (if I recall correctly) I broke down at my desk and cried. That day I was feeling particularly “othered”. “Jacob! Jacob!” I’ve known him since I was three years old. We went to Kindergarten together, he could burp the ABC’s which was super cool in 1992, he lived up the street from me on Grover Avenue he called me rambunctious and just like that I started my life long love of words! To be called such a big word at 4 or 5 by another 4 or 5 year old, WOW! What a knowing. He had grown into a wonderful young man. A talented journalist. Still so much fun and a music aficionado. He found me just in time too! He was getting married and I watched his wedding to the beautiful Eva on YouTube with tears in my eyes.

I am fortunate to have more than a handful of these veteran friendships but the jewel in this crown of friends is my best friend. We are both so similar (cultural background, family structure, education, values and sense of humor) and yet so different we are good compliments to each other.

Over the most delicious fresh fried whole fish of the day (which happened to be snapper - my FAVORITE - truffled green beans and, frisbee sized tostones we reconnected in real time. The best way to capture this feeling is to quote Kevin Masters in the WSJ article mentioned above.

“It was like a deep grounding in my soul took place…”

It only goes to follow that I didn’t take not a single picture of that first meal we enjoyed together!!!! Shock and horror! We were too busy doing The Most (por supuesto)! Within 10 minutes Dayliset requested the waitstaff shift our table for a more central location with better light and dove head long into conversation that ranged from a “read” of two youngsters at my 7 o’clock to a breakdown of upcoming career plans. My best friend is an award winning criminal defense attorney!

While we only scratched the surface after two hours, (an excel spreadsheet would be handy to capture the dating antics alone), our first meeting was a good “appetizer” to the rest of a super fun weekend that was equal parts healing, connecting with my little man (my best friends two year old son) and reminiscence. From that first meal to the last (have you ever eaten Cuban Arroz Imperial? LORD! Sooo good! I was restored! Best friends! Together again!

Arroz Imperial is classic Cuban comfort food made with layers of yellow rice, shredded chicken and melted cheese. Here’s an easy recipe below from The Sassy Spoon, here.

Please leave a comment and tell us about your best friend(s) below.