I'm a close neighbor to Tristan Roberts. Living in the woods in Vermont, that's not saying much. I can't see his house from mine, but his family has a strong presence in our family's life that makes the distance feel short.
We moved here about three years ago, and I kept hearing about Tristan before I met him. When we encountered the lack of Internet here, I was told, “Tristan's working on that on the broadband committee. Ask him how it's coming along.”
Being new in town, I had questions about where to buy firewood and who I might ask to put my hens in at night when we were away for work. Whatever the question, Tristan seemed to be mentioned as a person who would help or know where to find help. I formed a mental image of him as this old man who must have been living up the road for decades.
When I finally met Tristan, I was surprised to encounter an energetic, curious, open-hearted young man. We still laugh about it.