Rina and Sonia met on the first day of high school even though we have both lived in Tampa forever. Along with Ruchita, we had aspirations of becoming youtube stars and made music videos with no success unfortunately. Throughout high school, we attended various summer science camps at Boston University and UF together. We also were members of Mu Alpha Theta attending most competitions with no victories. Our most notable achievement in high school was making taco bell t-shirts and giving them out to our fellow classmates. We were obsessed with Taco Bell just like every other Indian. This has glued our friendship over the years as we went of to different colleges throughout the years.
Aditi and Sonia met on the first day of college at Emory. We truly bonded after graduating from college. We are each other's therapists basically and can talk to each other about anything. We helped each other through so many big life events and Aditi is someone I can easily talk to for hours and hours.
Poorvi and Sonia knew each other since we were kids in Tampa. I'm pretty sure we did a lot of Indian dances growing up at India Fest. We truly bonded after I moved back to Tampa through our countless dance practices for various other events. Poorvi is someone who I can talk to about anything regarding any skincare, hair, health advice I need. She knows everything about everything and has done all the research already so I don't have to.
Sareena and Sonia met first year of college at Emory at SaRaas tryouts (SaRaas is Emory's Indian Dandiya Raas dance team). I didn't think I would even get on as freshmen, but Sareena and I both were some of the only freshmen that got on the team that year (along with Saagar). We bonded on this team through the long hours of practice and late night Taco Bell after practice. We then both ended up at the same dental school at Tufts in Boston. Grateful to have always kept this friendship.
Amritha and Sonia met when we were babies. I remember vividly going to each other houses for sleepovers all the time. I would always wake up at the crack of dawn and wait for Amritha to wake up way later. We always were next to each other at every birthday party cake cutting. Amritha and I went to middle school and high school together and continued to be the best of friends. Amritha is the type of person that even if we can't talk for a year, and then when we meet it's like we just saw each other yesterday.
Monica and Sonia knew each other since we were kids in Tampa. We also did a lot of Indian dances growing up at India Fest. We bonded after I moved back to Tampa and shared many experiences together including our love for dancing. Monica is someone who I can just laugh with for hours about nothing. During our trip to Denver, Colorado I realized our mutual ability to be extremely easily entertained by anything and thinking everything is AMAZING. WOW!
Haseeb and Jay met in middle school - at least in this lifetime. Over the years, it has become clear that the relationship did not start so recently. They continue to bond over a shared love of elegant waste management.
Omar and Jay met over the formaldehyde tanks of anatomy lab in medical school. After a creative haircut, they became fast friends. Omar has since been a guiding force in Jay’s life, and earned the moniker of “Moral Compass.” He remains listed as such in Jay’s phone - much to the Moral Compass’s chagrin!
Nick and Jay have been friends since they were able to form memories. They were so close that Jay’s parents moved to Nick’s neighborhood when the boys were 10. They spent their childhood biking to each other’s houses, and doing their homework in Nick’s Dad’s office at school…or so he thought!
Jawad and Jay cannot remember a time in their lives that they weren’t friends. They drove a child-sized hole in the wall in Jay’s childhood kitchen with a car…and the shenanigans have never ended. Now they’re locked in a race for who can spend the most years in post-graduate medical training. Each of their respective partners are hoping they will lose!
Frank and Jay met in boarding school in Oklahoma. Quintessential nerds, they bonded over economics and physics. Though they haven’t lived in the same state in over a dozen years, they’ve never gone more than a few months without a phone call or getting together in person - sometimes traveling from sea to shining sea to make it happen!
Shahn and Jay are childhood friends, and still act like it. They spent countless evenings pretending to do homework in front of the TV, and driving Shahn’s mother mad. The campaign is ongoing.
Graham and Jay met on their first day of medical school and instantly fell in love. They were the two best-dressed people in the lecture hall every day, or at least they thought they were. They decided sharing one degree wasn’t enough and so went on to grad school together. One day, they plan to open a restaurant that serves unique dining experiences for those willing to live life a little on the edge!
Chris and Jay have been friends since before they had facial hair. They grew up in adjacent neighborhoods, clowning around on the golf course near Chris’s neighborhood, where they did everything except play golf!
Jason and Jay met in boarding school in Oklahoma. They recognized and had mutual respect for each others basketball skills (or lack thereof). They opted to become roommates in their senior year and had by far the best dorm in the school. After nearly a decade apart, the universe saw fit to reunite them in Tampa.