DIEGO VALLE

New Found Glory would follow that line with an in-your-face “just remember they were born that way”, I myself rather write a full blog with inside jokes and little details that may give you a slight idea of how amazing it is to be part of such family.

There is one time through the year that reunites every single person that at some point has been important part of all of this. You see, you’re born part of a biological family, and this one will always remain wether is good or bad. But there’s more to life, there are certain people who come and go, and there are certain people you spend years sharing what could easily be tagged as a bond of friendship. You may think they’re not many, only two, luckily three… until Blanca’s birthday bash.

I have to drive a mile to get to her house even when she’s just the most 8 blocks away. So I did, stopped by the gas station to torture myself with never-ending increasing gas prices and get some ciggies from which pack I actually blew one through the short drive. Half cigarrete later there I was parking at the dead-end alley (something i’ve always actually considered very very cool) where she lives and saw Rafa’s car while Blanca at the door was ready to welcome me to the only party of the year I’d never miss.

When Blanca turned 15 years old, we played a show at her etiquete-like party and started the tradition of gathering all of the people around our lives together. Back then we were like 5 kids who listened to radio-ready-pop-punk and had no clue of what life would bring us to. Nowdays we are like 50 has-beens, journalists, band-mates, baristas, x-girlfriends, x-boyfriends, new additions, long-time no-sees… but all in all a massive ammount of friends that have been around and had gone through so many years that it fairly enough seems like forever.

Now those are 50 friends I am talking about, not only two or luckily three; so the reason why I love to celebrate one more year of age from my oldest friend is because it makes me realize I am surrounded by amazing people that forgives, forgets and never regrets a single day of all of this.