Please Do Vibe 2024
On this day in 2024, I’m feeling rather strange. Vocal nodes paired with a bad case of laryngitis has me in a serious funk, and I’m clinging to try to grasp some feeling of positivity after two nights of nightmares in a row where I was trapped in a body that would never speak again. I’m not good with horror films. I’m not good with the horror world we live in. When I feel in the depths of my sadness, sometimes I turn to art — but more than that, y’all, I turn to community. I’m so grateful, that despite everything, I have so many people to be thankful for, and two months ago, I spent a whole weekend with them. They are:
Heather Frew.
I STILL laugh when I think of you and how you learned to camp last year, because, “What was I gonna do? Not come???” And how right you were TO come, how beautifully you’ve blossomed into an actual camper (!!) and how this year, you’ve graced us with more beautiful physical gifts AND a healing session. I’m so grateful for your gorgeous sprit, your centering presence — and the love you hold so deep in your heart.
Ally Ibach
I’m such a fan. Your level of humor mashed with sincerity, your talents paired with you authentic AF energy — you bring SO MUCH with you wherever you go, and I am so damn lucky that I got to participate in some sessions with you this year. Love you, Friend.
Mallory Vance
WAIT MALLORY WAIT I never even went into your van!!! FREAKING WHAT. Truly though: you anchor me and lock me in with everything we get to do together. I don’t know how you do it — I don’t know how you provide so much balance to everyone around you. Thank you for the deep empathic kindness you bring to all of us — prepared with game designer FUN AND HILARITY. Are you kidding me??
Stone Fruit
THE FASHION. The sunnies. The leggings. The laughter. The celebration. The heartbreak. The struggle, the perseverance, the giggles. All of these I associate with you — that and, your stunning performance as facilitator in Nick’s game. You rocked it — as you rock my world.
Natalya Brusilovsky
HI I LOVE YOU. What a WONDER it was to get to showcase your talents this year!!! Thank you thank you thank you xonemillion for packing such a punch. You SO helped us to seal the moment. You brought SO much clarity, vulnerability, and joy out of all of us with your two awesome workshops. Of course one night we were laughing about despair, and the next we’ve got cell phones in choke holds. Your spirit feels in deep community with mine — and I am beyond grateful to know you.
Danielle Cintron
DANI. You strutted right on into this space and ROCKED IT AND OWNED IT. Even BEFORE your imminent arrival, you were messaging me to help with grocery orders, to provide flashlights — to overall be a huge champion of the humans in this space — and then BOOM, you’re singing and dancing in Mob Barley. I love how you meld into community — I love all that you contribute, all that you provide. I love you.
JARJ
My dear, dear friend. For 18 years I have blessed by your presence, so fucking lucky to grow right alongside you and to see you grow. There is something so special in looking at you and knowing how well you know me — how I can be free and flawed and you’ll still be there to celebrate me. Thank you for being in my life. Thank you for the gift of YOU at Please Do Vibe.
Preston Davis
PRESTON, don’t tell anyone I said this — but you are THE most photogenic of all of us. No kidding. Your smile, your absolute PRESENCE! What a joy. I had no idea that contra would be EXACTLY what our group needed to laugh super hard and have such a great physical celebration. You really nailed it, and I value so much our second year of an early morning group hike. It was wonderful — as are you.
Dennissa Young
My family. You are cut from the same cloth, a true spirit I am so privileged to be connected to. You are such an absolute asset to this community, a seriously sacred holder of space and heart and feelings. THANK YOU for being camp counselor, for being you. Please know that I am always, always in your corner. For sure.
Josh Feintuch
Or, Josh I. SWEET LOVE, this event wouldn’t EXIST without you!!! THANK YOU for all of the heart and soul you put into it last year in order to ensure that it existed again this year — I love you so much and cherished our time at the fire on night one, and was delighted by your dances with Preston at contra.
Megan Markham
Come the fuck ON Princess of my LIFE!!!! How did you get to be so special, so magical, so fucking brilliant?! THANK YOU (and your wife) for coming to the Vibe. I know the journey was a lot. But your energy is so valuable to this community, and your special little wink of wonder does not go unnoticed by me. I will always remember dancing and laughing with you in 2024.
Amanda Simmons
My darling one. Quieter than your spouse but not to be unnoticed. Fan favorite already in Bellingham, and closer to my heart than ever this year. Thank you (and your wife) for making the trek out to us — seeing you relax in the rain in the hot tub alone was wonderful. Love, love, love you.
Lauren Arneson
Hey, friend. You kicked ASS this year. Thank you so much for being a CHAMPION of the kitchen. Eric personally celebrated you to me — saying that you kept him in check, that you managed him entirely and that the process was expedited a million times better because of you. I want you to know that when I saw your tears at events, at performances and sessions — that that is all of the reward I could possibly ask for in hosting an event like this. I thank you so much — from my heart, for sharing so very much of yourself and your spirit with us. I appreciate it more than you will know.
Clara Bella
CB!!!! THANK YOU for making the journey!! Thank you for sharing space and time with us. I hope you know (and see and feel) the ways in which we all value you so completely. Thank you for wanting to be with us. Thank you for showing up like you do — like very few do — and that letter you gave me? Was beautifully written. Just FYI.
Adam Brooks
Vladam, Vladam — the core of this crew. Truly. A friend to ALL. A human with depth and capacity and wake-up-for-the-waterfall love. I’m SO grateful that you joined us again this year and shared more DND delights. I hope you know how much we appreciate you. I hope you see that all that you give is received with such tremendous appreciation. I hope that we give back to you all that you give to us.
Nick Fortugno
I’m a fan. You know that. I was THRILLED that we got to play one of your games this year. Thrilled to have you hang out and facilitate a convo (even though you’re like, dude I don’t really need to do this). I was thrilled that you wanted to come and be with us again this year. You bring joy, curiosity, and OPINIONS everywhere you go — and that triple threat is something I love very much in a human. Thank you for being part of my world.
Hideki Watanabe
My sweet, wonderful friend. You helped me do a thing I HAVE NEVER DONE as a performer and it was wild and scary and new and exciting and we didn’t even think to record it until we immediately started and I wish I had thought sooner, I wish I had done better as a performer with you/done better by you but I’m so GRATEFUL to you for vibing with me, for trusting me with your talents, for wanting to experiment and create together. I hope we can figure out more. In this shitty year we’ve had, I look back on our special event and I feel happiness that I tried something new with a person I admire. I love you, friend.
Kacey Statmats
Powerhouse Witch. Positive energy, twinkle in your eye, EXCELLENT LISTENER. AKA a freakin ASSET and secret weapon to any party of adventurers. I LOVE that Jack brought us together, it means so so freakin much to me that you ride with us. Having less people this year meant that I got more time with you, and I loved every moment of it. Also, what the fuck was that prism — it fucking rocked.
Parker Sela
Oh my WONDERFUL friend. You are a goddamn rock. I don’t honestly know what I love more about you at the Vibe — having your help, your spirit, your energy — or seeing you so celebrated by so many. One of my favorite things about our time together is being reminded of all of the inner dialogues and communications happening amidst the PDT network — I had completely forgotten about Adam’s Letter to the Professor — you and Jarj performing it was a delight beyond words.
Meredith Conti
SHUT THE HECK UP I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I am HONORED that you spent your weekend with us. Your contributions on the first night alone resonated with me so deeply — it is as though you have always been family, and I hope you always will be. I can’t believe I got to play DND with you. Your outfit (unsurprisingly) rocked.
Sam Eddington
You just have no idea how special you are. I feel like that sounds patronizing. I don’t mean it to be. I mean it to simply say that you bring SO very much to this community. You are an active listener. You are full of heart and sincerity. You bring focus and compassion, sensitivity and courage to everything you do. You have the depth of a wishing well and a true lion heart. Whether we’re writing poetry, singing songs, sharing stories, or, you know — crying?? — I love you so much and am GRATEFUL that you give your all to all of us at the Vibe.
Emily Cordes
You thoughtful, creative, generous person. I see so much of myself in you — a persistence and desire to create, to share, to give — all the while managing so much anxiety that is boiling over all the damn time. Hold tight to your heart. Remember who you are amidst all the struggle — and know that you are so deeply loved and appreciated. Getting to write with you this year was truly a privilege and a pleasure for me to sit with my notebook — something I never do anymore. You gave me that chance — thank you.
Eric Lister
YES, CHEF. Oh my lord. Thank you so much for joining us for this wild ride. Thank you for trusting me to do this, for giving it a whirl, for being chill AF (at least when I was with you, bahahah) and making our lives SO MUCH BETTER AND SIMPLER due to the magical fact that we got to be taken care of by you. Thank you for volunteering for this, thank you for your big heart. I love you so much, my friend.
Siobhán Stergis
My sister. My fellow suffer-er. My fellow warrior. My namesake and heart centered human. I am so so grateful to be so aligned with you. When you decided to join us again, my heart ZOOMED out of my chest an I’m fuckin thrilled we got to yoga on that stage with you. I’m thrilled that you were able to share your poetry and your compassion with us — it is, as always and as ever, a huge gift that does not go unnoticed by me. Thank you for so effortlessly being part of the glue that keeps this community together. I adore you.
Dena Dahilig
WHO KNEW that those voice over happy hours or WHATEVER THE HECK THEY WERE would lead to such a valuable friendship?! I am freakin OVERJOYED that you joined us for this year’s vibe. You were INCREDIBLE. You packed a punch to everything you were a part of, and I will NEVER forget your talent show performance that absolutely blew me away. Thank you for bringing your whole self. Thank you for sharing your confidence and strength of spirit with all of us. It's an inspiration and a genuine burst of BRIGHT in this dark world.
Megan Allen
Hey, gorgeous. YOU ARE THE ENTIRE SKY OF STARS!! I want more than anything for you to look around and to see that — to see all of us adoring you and reflecting your light. We love you so much and you did such a whizbang of a disco for us. Thank for that. Thank you for everything. Never forget what your spirit contributes to EVERY SPACE you are in.
Brandon Santoro
OH BRANDON. What in the world would I do without you? Thank you for streamlining so much of this labor for me. Thank you for being so deeply organized. Thank you for enjoying being organized. Thank you for caring deeply about all of us. Thank you for putting so much energy and labor into this project, when you could be (and should be?!) doing all sorts of other things in the world. I love you more than words can say, and I’m so, so grateful.
James Martin
GROSS I’m writing to my partner amidst all this?? Hah. YES. You were a part of this digital community BEFORE you were my partner — what a love story indeed. Thank you for being a part of everything, this year and last. Thank you for believing in me. I know you are my biggest fan — and it’s the best feeling in the world to have someone love me like that. I never thought it was possible. Thank you.