If you did not know Roam, think of it as a version of Wework. Mostly in Atlanta (with the sole exception of one in Grandscapes in Dallas).

Now, I have been a member there for the better part of 15 years. Almost from the time the original location opened in Alpharetta. I am literally the longest standing customer. I have gone thru 4 companies and still go to Roam to work when I do not have an office to go to. The locations may not be the best, the lack of windows and outside view does not compete well with other companies and certainly there is no free food and snacks like you will get at Thrive or Industrious – but the people at Roam are just outrageously great. I do not know what they do in their recruiting process but each and every one of them are the kind of professionals you want to interact every day – very helpful, always smiling and always worried about giving you the best service.

If there is one ding, it is that the young folks who join there, often find great opportunities and move on. It is, of course, great for them. For me, I have to start my relationships all over again. To give you an idea, I wish 20 Roamers and ex-Roamers happy birthday every year. And I probably do not have contacts for another 20. But that has also afforded me to keep up with the life journeys of the young folks as they have flourished in their personal and professional lives!

In exactly that vein, got to know Tanvi Reddy in Roam Alpharetta last year. She is midway between my two daughters in age and I got to know about her and her family during the time she was there. One of the things I remembered her most by is that she had just graduated from the college that my younger one goes to.

And then she vanished one day.

It was only when I called to wish her a happy birthday a few days back that I realized she is in New York with a new opportunity. I mentioned that I will be in the city for work and also to meet my other daughter.

We were both able to squeeze some time between work to grab a coffee in Union Square!

It was so great to see this young professional again!

Aimee and I worked in 2010 and early 2011 when she left the company we had just acquired. After that, I had kept up with her during our catch up calls every March for her birthday. (Coincidentally, my daughter, she and I have three consecutive birthdays!!).

Over the years, I got to know how she overcame learning challenges as a young child and how she found her calling as an entrepreneur focusing on educational products on similarly challenged kids.

She was in Atlanta for a conference and that gave us an opportunity to catch up over dinner. I think this is the longest I have spent any face to face time with her.

Some great discussions on how to deal with people who think differently and in general, how to survive and excel by being different in a world where people choose to be around similar people.

Had a thought provoking session! And a lot of catch up of our colleagues from yesteryears!!

I had not seen Mark in over 5 years. Thankfully, he was able to take some time off his super busy schedule to trek it to my hotel to have a coffee in the morning. It was incredibly great to see this great human being. And also to reflect on the learnings from the time we worked together and ever since.

Also picked up some tips on my new hobby – bicycling! He has been doing that for the better part of a decade and a half.

Natasha and I met a few times over the past few years after that summer in 2008 when we met in a running trail. There was that time when I came out of an airport I was transiting thru to meet her and her mom. The last time was when Sharmila and I met her in Doha on our way back from Jordan.

Met her this morning during her visit to Atlanta. After all these years, you would think I would at least know her name. No! Found out that her first name is Carmen. And there is a very interesting history of why she goes by “Natasha”.

But the best part of the morning was meeting her younger son Matthew. Incredibly well put together, I had a very mature discussion with this rising senior. Our topics varied from taking a year off for backpacking to how we did programming in the 80s (what is a computer card? 🙂 ).

Hope to meet both of them again as they swing by Atlanta once more towards the end of July. I need to finsih up some of the loose ends of our discussions with Matthew.

Got to sit down with our new stranger-turned-friend Bill and we talked about his life with motorcycles! Learnt a lot from him.

On last day of school.

And now again, four decades later, on the last day of their kids’ schools!!

It was a glorious morning. Sharmila, Jay Jay and I went out for a longer walk than usual. On the way back, stopped by Valor Coffee to pick up a cappuccino. Sharmila and Jay Jay waited outside while I went in. I was third in line.

So far everything was as I would expect. Then I noticed the gentleman standing second in line. Right in front of me…

“Alex?”

He turned around. It was indeed him!

We used to work together many, many moons back. In fact, he was one of the first professionals I met in 2007 when we moved to Atlanta. Over the next few years, I proceeded to learn a lot of strategy and strategic marketing from Alex. He was our CMO then.

I even remember running a 5K one afternoon in a race somewhere in Johns Creek area with his family!

It was great to see Alex after such a long time!!

After leaving school in 1983, I had not seen Venkatesh for 33 years! And then managed to meet him in Atlanta when he was visiting his relatives in 2016. And now he has moved to Atlanta himself!!