On the night of Sept. 1, 2023, I was alone in a hotel room in Costa Rica. I'd just flown to the country by myself for the first time, and I'd been on the phone half the evening with my dad, who was very worried about my dog that I hated leaving behind in the first place. That night, I went to bed feeling pretty crummy and a little scared. What was I doing? After watching a documentary on the Atlanta Child Murders on the one English news station I could find, I finally passed out from exhaustion and worry with my TV on, and sometime around 2 a.m., I heard a news anchor say that Jimmy Buffett had died. At first, I thought I was dreaming, but when I woke up and saw that it was true. The night couldn't get any worse, I thought.   

Related: Farewell to the Pirate: Jimmy Buffett, 1946-2023

Long story short, that trip was fine (so was my dog), life-changing even, but losing Buffett left a little hole in my life. He was my first concert. Tom Petty aside, I probably own more of his music than I do almost any other artist. It's the perfect go-to when you want to be at the beach but you're stuck in Atlanta. I grew up on it, and I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. I actually had a love interest once who mocked me mercilessly for listening to that "junk." Others have told me it's silly. But when I was thinking about writing this article yesterday, I realized why Buffett's music appealed to me so much: It's fun.  

I've spent my entire life daydreaming about moving away to some beach somewhere and never wearing anything but flip-flops again, and while, up until recently, that hasn't necessarily been feasible due to other obligations, Buffett's music allowed me to do it in my mind. But there's more to his music than being wasted away in "Margaritaville" and being a beach bum. His songs tell stories that make you laugh, cry, and escape from a broken world. Songs like "Gypsies in the Palace" tell a great story, and "One Particular Harbor" appeals to my emotions. 

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of Buffett's death, and I couldn't help but enjoy all the celebration and honor he received on social media and beyond. 

In Key West, they held the second annual "Just a Few Friends" festival, "a four-day island celebration honoring Jimmy Buffett’s legacy." I may have to make it down there for that one year. August 29 is also "Jimmy Buffett Day" across his famous Margaritaville resorts. Fans use the day to celebrate Buffett, but it's also meant to encourage acts of service, like cleaning up a beach or park, donating to a food pantry, volunteering at an animal shelter, or simply paying for the person in line behind you at a drive-thru. 

Singer-songwriter Mac McAnally, who is a longtime member of Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, paid tribute. 

Mac also shared the hilarious story behind the song "Boat Drinks" in recent weeks.  

Buffett's official X account honored him with lyrics to the song "Bubbles Up." I must be honest — that one got to me. 

These are just a few of the many, many ways people honored Buffett over the weekend, both online and in person, and it was nice to see. It was nice to see people come together for something that had nothing to do with politics or protests and just have fun and keep his memory alive. There are some days, especially covering the news week after week, that it seems like people have forgotten how to have fun, but Buffett's legacy reminds us of how important that is. 

It also reminds us that we should go for the things we want and enjoy our time on this planet... because you never know when that time is up. Buffett was 76 when he died, but the last time I saw him before that, he still seemed so full of life, like he had many more years ahead of him making music. It gives me comfort to know that he did seemingly make the most of his time while he was here, and it inspires me to try to do the same with my own remaining years.  

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