Allan Boeshaar

Having been here almost three months, I've seen what it means to room with someone not of your choosing and cannot imagine how this adventure would have turned out if I had been stuck with almost 90 percent of the people here. Fortunately, to some degree, I have had the ability to "choose" all three of my roommates so the experience has been at least a pleasant one.

The latest roommate is Allan Boeshaar. Allan is the best thing to happen to me here. And in some ways, the worst. From the moment we met there was a spark. And like so many of the relationships I've developed over the years with so many of my friends and "little brothers," it was simply a matter of recognizing the power of the chance encounter and making the most of it. I could have easily continued having a single room, but when he announced that he had decided to move in, I was actually happy to share my space.

In some ways Allan is mature for his age. After all my Sigma Chi experiences, it has become almost second nature to be able to measure someone immediately against an unwritten standard of "adultness" and he passes the test. He also appreciates all types of music and, in particular, loves a number of the same artists I do. The latest favorite is Poi Dog Pondering, the Chicago band I've been listening to since hearing them open for Dave Matthews a decade ago. Allan is now hooked on their latest album "7" and no Jeep drive is complete without it. He is a great conversationalist, too, and even though his interests may be narrower than mine, we are never at a loss for something to talk about. Best of all, he came to the Grand Canyon for the same reason I did -- to enjoy all the possibilities this magnificent national park has to offer.

Are there any negatives? Certainly. Some are not of his making like his job as a dishwasher and the horrible schedule that entails. I have endured more than one long diatribe, but for some reason I don't mind. It gives me the opportunity to offer a bit of encouragement and a reminder that someone cares about his welfare. He also has a few other quirks, but nothing atypical of a teenager. A short list would include impatience, short attention span, and a constant need for trivial entertainment/sensory stimulation, all of which are counter to my nature, but are not so irksome that I find them intolerable. In a word, it is like bunking out with a freshman pledge versus a senior officer...and I had my share of both.

So, when all the positives and negatives are considered, what is it about Allan that has totally captured my heart? Well, frankly, he has given me the kick in the pants I needed to really begin to enjoy this place. In one week, we have been 4-wheeling in the Jeep to places no one else goes, we've hiked several great trails, and enjoyed dinner together in the lodge dining room and at the Kaibab Lodge north of here. And one night last week, we did something completely over the top. We drove out to a spot along the East Rim, hiked through these amazing aspen groves, then built a campfire and watched a lightning storm on the South Rim. Sitting by that fire under the stars, enjoying a bowl of pipe tobacco, could not have been more Gandalfian if J.R.R. Tolkien had created the scene himself.

Having written this, I know it begs the question: "what did he mean by 'the worst?' " Simply this. Time is flying by and before we know it, October 20th will be here. Everyone will go their separate ways and I will lose a terrific hiking companion, perfect roommate and as all of you will understand, an awesome "little brother." Nothing could be worse than that.