Ilmo took me places I’d never been before. Sometimes it was just a thought experiment to sit and think about theoretical future possibilities, but somedays we actually packed up the car and went out exploring to see new things!

Our most memorable trip was when his brother came to visit from Finland and Ilmo wanted to show him everything his wonderful new home of California had to offer; Mountains, deserts, beaches, castles…

Ilmo plotted our itinerary, and off we rolled in my Subaru station wagon leaving the Bay Area shrinking in the rear view mirror. First we travelled to Yosemite to stare at the wonder of HalfDome and the pristine Yosemite Valley, next we visited San Simeon to see the marvels of Hearst Castle, and then we came to Death Valley. Less than half-way through the drive across Death Valley, the AC went out in my car! What could we do? We rolled down the windows, took off our T-shirts and made makeshift facemasks from them. Ilmo was always resourceful.

As we traveled on we inhaled plumes of dust from bouncing over the dunes. In the distance we saw a lone coyote and a mirage where a lone palm tree grew in the tiny area where water from the last rains had collected. We saw a fire rainbow though there was no sign of moisture anywhere in that dry desert air. Ilmo explained, that hexagonal ice crystals aligned in cirrus clounds at just the right angle caused the rare phenomenon.

That night we pitched a couple of tents and we watched the lightning roll across the valley. By flashlight we explored and watched as creatures came to life sprouting from holes in the valley floor. Ilmo was so anxious to share his experiences and his knowledge. The itinerary was carefully planned and he really took the time to make a point at each stop of explaining the significance of our way points.

What I took from this trip was that Ilmo had grown up without a strong male role model and that he really wanted to share with his younger brother a dream. Ilmo’s dream was that anything could happen if you just grabbed knowledge and applied it in the right way. Ilmo wanted to share that the world was large and full of opportunity. He brought me to tears a couple of times on that trip! His heart was so big and his mind and imagination had no boundaries.

On the last leg of the trip we went over to Las Vegas and we met Hayzell (his wife who was his girlfriend at the time) and together we all drove over to see the Grand Canyon! I remember sitting on the rim of that vast crack in the earth with Ilmo and Hayzell and we all just watched as the moon grew and rose high into the sky. We talked until the early morning and just sat mystified at the wonder of our word and the fragility of our planet. Ilmo instilled such excitement into us all, he was truly enthralled with all the experiences of life.

Ilmo took time to tell each of us what we meant to him. And he reminded us that, although we might not be a traditional family, we were a tribe. He told us that we were meaningful to him. I can still remember that huge smile reflecting the moonlight and for a moment I felt all the hope and wonder he held.

This is Ilmo before graduating from UC Berkeley and before Oxford and Cambridge and Facebook and Waymo and Google. But somehow, even then it was clear that he would do amazing things! You could see it in his eyes!

I miss you my friend!

Joe Gotshall