Lydia grew up with Silas. As a brother, Silas always tried to be there for his siblings. Since Lydia was young she always remembered feeling included, heard, and listened to by Silas. Silas wasn’t only a brother but he is my closest friend. From playing “Gorilla time” (which is basically ultimate four square) when we were younger, to going on joyrides that included trying to drive on every single road in the county, we had lots of memorable moments. One particularly fun memory was during a joyride in the dark when we found a house that had carnival rides with lights playing clown music - we were so freaked out. We felt like there might be clowns jumping out of the road, but we were all scared together. We laughed and laughed even though we were scared. That memory had so much laughter and excitement. Once Silas moved to Seattle, Lydia was worried about the distance and not being as close to her brother and friend. But even with the two hour time difference, Lydia and Silas have made it work. There hasn’t been a moment since Silas moved that she felt like their friendship was gone. Now whenever Silas comes home to visit, we always have so much fun from playing card games to taking more joyrides. When Lydia isn’t playing tennis or pickleball, she spends her time serving her community through a variety of service projects and volunteering. Lydia also spends time participating in a variety of clubs while always making time for her friends. Her life is very busy with school, clubs, sports, and having a job; however, she never forgets to text, call, and FaceTime her brother and most importantly her best friend.

Sainath met Vishnu around 12 years ago in their second semester at Anna University. Their common bond was their latent level of nerdiness and what intrigued Sainath most about Vishnu was how could someone this studious and smart be this much of a gossip hog. Vishnu had a knack for attracting drama as well, early in their friendship Vishnu once tried to make people in his hostel pick sides in an inconsequential battle for no power between him and another batchmate. Safe to say both sides lost the battle. Whether it's inconsequential hostel gang-wars, gaming the Uber referral system to get free rides for 6 months, buttering up his professors to move his grade up from an A to S, participating in an absurd level of gossip, there were issues aplenty - and this is just in college. Yet, their friendship has persisted through those times and some of the tougher times that have come after that. A common motivation to make sure they stay in touch has definitely played a part, but, above everything else, an understanding of the value the friendship has brought and continues to bring to each other's lives as well. Currently, as Sainath writes this bio (admittedly a week later than promised), he is consulting as a Product and Tech Lead with early-stage startups in India, working remotely from Chennai. Living with his newlywed wife and family, he remains a devoted Manchester United fan, an avid badminton player, and a book lover, while striving to stay fit.

Silas and I grew up as brothers and friends. What I enjoyed the most was playing a lot of chess, going for joy rides with Silas and our other siblings, and flying to Seattle to hang out with him and his fiancé. That was probably the best and most fun memory with him so far, and I'm looking forward to making more in the future. As a little brother to him, I have always looked up to him and always will; he has introduced me to lots of cool stuff like tennis and software development. Nowadays I’ve been up to finishing my junior year of high school strong and dominating the playing field in tennis.

Vasu and Vishnu shared a cab once. And honestly that should've been the end of it. But somehow it wasn't and they became close friends. Through the years, despite living in different places, Vasu and Vishnu maintained their friendship, went on many fun trips and became sporadic running buddies. Vasu currently lives and works in the bay area, and in his free time, he enjoys generic activities.

Theresa met Silas in the first couple of weeks at UW. Together they accidentally became the faces of sobriety on campus, Theresa almost turned Silas into an alcoholic through repeated peer pressure, and their friendship was solidified during the four years in which Theresa was repeatedly told by her (ex-)boyfriend that Silas was in love with her. Little did he know how wrong he was… While everyone’s bullshit and drama has only narrowed their respective friend groups, Theresa and Silas have continued to make time for one another while living three time zones apart because that’s what you do for the people you love. Theresa is currently a full-time PhD student in Pennsylvania and looks forward to graduating so that she can visit Silas and Vishnu in Seattle more often.

Pallami met Vishnu on his first day at their local crossfit gym through a couple of common friends. Vishnu was the laziest bum she had ever met at the gym, who would consistently find new and innovative ways to sandbag his way through workouts. Naturally, she felt the need to take him under her wing and they soon became best buds. The incident that truly sealed the deal on their friendship was when Vishnu was caught taking a shortcut alleyway during a 400 meter run during a workout, and from then on, Pallami would hold Vishnu’s hand while running to ensure the alleyway saw no unexpected visitors other than the usual druggies. From that day to now, they both have come a long way. Vishnu and Pallami have helped each other through many ups and downs in life, and seen each other grow into the best versions of themselves over the years. Pallami is currently working as a Senior Software Engineer at Amazon, while trying to pursue her love for dance, CrossFit, traveling, doing outdoorsy shit, eating all the biriyani in the world while trying to get ‘em elusive abs!

Sam grew up in Monroe with Silas. Some of his best memories with Silas include the many years at camp each summer together, teaming up to win the state finance and investment bowl two years in a row in high school, and their 3 years as roommates in college. He is also an avid board gamer and looks forward to the day when he can beat Silas at Settlers of Catan (alas that day has not yet come). When he isn’t board-gaming with friends, he spends his time working in accounting, woodworking, gardening, and most importantly, raising his 2 year old son, Walter, with his wife Emma.

We have all read about love at first sight. Something that lights up when two souls meet, that is so powerful and connecting that they are forever drawn to one another. This is how strong Vishnu and Ashley's love is for one another. They have only been together for what may appear as a short two years, but their mischievous hearts and love for chaos makes their bond unlike any other. Vishnu loves Ashley's ability to quickly discern others to see who they are at their core, while Ashley praises Vishnu's strength of cutting through the fog and moving through the depths of an individual's soul. Whether it's dancing their hearts out while drinking mimosas, crying together or pretending to argue with sassy remarks, their bond is forever In the early days of Vishnu & Silas’s love story, Ashley could see that their connection would blossom into forever. She encouraged Vishnu to continue giving his heart to this new man who truly treasured him. Ashley has watched front-row as the two have created a beautiful world for each other to be safe in, be themselves in, and love one another in.

If there’s one thing you need to know about Silas, it’s that he’s the kind of guy who will roll his eyes at your pickleball skills but still show up and play a round or two. He's also a rock climbing whiz, which can be both inspiring and infuriating, especially when he’s breezing up a route you puzzled over. Going hiking with Silas is a unique experience. While most people are content with basic snacks, he comes prepared with full-blown sandwiches, picnic blankets, and enough snacks to feed a small army. Silas is also a patient soul. He managed to teach me Agricola, the intense board game where farming gets serious. It’s hard to believe that beneath that patient exterior is someone who once tore his ACL on a skiing trip because he thought he was a pro. And let's not forget our spouses, who seem to think they live in a jungle with the number of plants they keep around. If we ever get lost in the wilderness, at least we know we'll be able to survive off their indoor gardens. Silas is a friend who brings joy, laughter, and a touch of glamor to every adventure. I’m thrilled that he's marrying Vishnu, and I can’t wait to see what other epic moments are in store for us all. Cheers to a lifetime of pickleball, board games, and glamorous hikes!

Growing up on a farm in upstate New York, Ryan ventured into the realm of computer science during his college years, subsequently kickstarting his career in the tech scene of NYC. In 2016, he uprooted to Seattle to join Amazon, partaking in the joy of nine months a year of constant rain. It wasn't long before he crossed paths with Vishnu, a bright-eyed but notably untalented engineer—naive yet brimming with potential. Together, Ryan and Vishnu embarked on a series of misadventures: skydiving in Snohomish, enduring atrocious pizza at the Westin, multiple run-ins with the law, and cultivating a pricey taste in wines and whiskeys. Through years of diligent mentoring, Ryan molded Vishnu into the pinnacle of mediocrity he is today, rising to the status of his role model and hero. All of Vishnu’s commendable qualities are direct reflections of his emulation of Ryan, while his failures clearly stem from an intrinsic lack of skill and an incomplete appreciation of Ryan's greatness. Ryan eventually bid farewell to Amazon, moving on to Airbnb where he enjoyed rampant career success over the next five years. In his leisure time, Ryan indulges in a plethora of intriguing activities, ranging from driving high-end cars and tackling endless home renovation projects, to globetrotting, enjoying Seattle's vibrant theater and culinary scenes, and savoring fine, peaty scotches.

Silas and Steven met as freshmen at UW Madison at Pres House campus church. They lived together their sophomore and junior years, spending many late nights doing what college students do best- playing board games and discussing philosophy. Nowadays Steven spends his time working in software development, enjoying various outdoor pursuits such as golf and mountain biking, and traveling with his wife, Emma.

Hello everyone, I’m thrilled to be here celebrating Vishnu and Silas! I first met Vishnu when our building decided to test our fire alarm’s decibel level. I didn’t know that this loud interruption would lead to a friendship filled with adventures, fun and a whole lot of learning. One of the most memorable events was when Vishnu and I embarked on a skiing trip. It was all fun and games until Vishnu decided to take a detour off the ski path. I’m convinced he was trying to give the snow a high-five. We’ve shared so many laughs and experiences together, from strolling past the Schitt’s Creek house, tubing in Idaho to petting llamas in San Juan's. Vishnu introduced me to so many things including his eclectic taste in books, movies, and those raunchy songs that he insists on playing at every gathering. Through the years, I’ve watched Vishnu grow and navigate the waters of life and dating. Boy's had more phases than the moon. But what I admire most about Vishnu is his ability to find humor in even the darkest of jokes, often cracking me up while I pretend to be scandalized. Cheers to Vishnu and Silas, may your love be as strong as Vishnu’s plant game, and may your life together be filled with endless joy and happiness!

Alex grew up in small-town Wisconsin and moved to Seattle around 9 years ago where he started work at Amazon as a software engineer. Moving across the country to a big city without any friends, Alex used work as an outlet to meet new people with similar interests. Around the same time Alex started working, Vishnu also started at Amazon and made an international trip to Seattle to work in Alexa. This is where the long and crazy friendship between the two began. Being two young people in a new city, Alex and Vishnu did all sorts of things together to grow their friendship. They would often go out and enjoy the nightlife of Seattle - where it was discovered that Vishnu had a crazy side to him. Without getting into too much detail, Vishnu was always the center of attention. One memory that stands out is when Vishnu and Alex were in a bowling league at West Seattle Bowl. Vishnu became sort of a local legend at WSB, everyone would huddle around to see his wild leg-swinging style of bowling any chance they could get. Whether Vishnu needed multiple uber rides to get home, was acting like a ninja playing dodgeball, or couldn't find his hotel room, it was never a dull moment when the two went out together with friends. Now that Vishnu and Alex are past their crazy 20s adventures, things have settled down in favor of more traveling, bougie roof-top themed parties, and asking Alex for help moving apartments to get good corner views. Alex and Vishnu took a world-wide trip to Dubai, India, and Hong Kong bouncing between fancy hotels - mostly of which is due to Vishnu enjoying the finer things in life. Vishnu taught Alex all about different cultures and opened his eyes to a much bigger view of the world than he previously thought was possible. While Vishnu showed Alex his school in Chennai India, they also both went to Eau Claire, WI to visit where Alex went to school. While traveling together with Vishnu is a great time, you have to make sure Vishnu gets a double drink on the flight! Throughout all the years Alex and Vishnu have known each other, they still recognize that both were a big part of their coming of age in Seattle. Good friends is an understatement when describing their history. Alex and Vishnu are still working together at Amazon over 9 years later and continuing to support each other as friends today.