3,434 things jonathanmarcus likes Explore more popular stuff on Tumblr →

It brings me great pain to announce that I will be missing picnic season 2012 in NYC this year. I will be summering in Georgia and then moving back into an apartment in Manhattan in September. 

While in Georgia, 90% of my time will be exclusively dedicated to growing my family’s business, Flight Display Systems. We have about 60 employees now between our companies. And still growing! There is a lot that I can help with in Georgia, and a LOT for me to learn.

I have lived at apartment 4i on 132 North 5th Street for 4 years. That’s wild. Move-in was July 2008 after I replied to an email that Elizabeth S. had sent out, and reached me via Anthony V. and Zach K.

On Thursday, May 31, 2012 I am moving out of my apartment in Williamsburg. I am excited and happy and going to miss this place. There are way too many great memories in 4i for me to list. (Wow, so many good times.)

Sorry if I have been a little cagey about this transition. I freaking love New York City, and I’m excited to move into this next phase of my life…. which means moving out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and into Manhattan (eventually). I haven’t picked a spot in the city yet, but I will be back every month in June, July, and August looking around for a single apartment. And going to the Met, and Sheep Meadow, etc.

For the next few months, please pardon me as I return to Georgia to hack at what we believe is the one of the next great American aerospace and defense companies. Flight Display Systems 

Also: Waffle House. Every morning.

Today I am 29.997 which means tomorrow I turn 30.

I could write a lot on this topic but lack to the time to do so. Perhaps that fact more than any captures the essence of my life right now. But I will spend a couple of minute to reflect on the last decade.

The later five years were much better than the first five. No comparison really. 20-24 had multiple heart breaks, failed businesses, loss of direction, professional struggle. They weren’t bad times, but they were definitely not awesome. 

25-29 was basically perfect. I don’t think I could’ve scripted it better. It started with a transition into the mainstream of NYC tech in 2007 when I went to work at CollegeHumor to run BustedTees. My first guaranteed paycheck! And more importantly, a social circle of fun people that made me want to leave my apartment, made me laugh, and introduced me to their cute lady friends. I made the prettiest one my wife. She rocks.

Tomorrow Petra is taking me to Paris for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday and life in general. We’re going to see one of the last stops on the JayZ/Kanye West tour and eat lots of baguettes. My professional life couldn’t be better; I’ve never been happier at work. Life is good amazing.

I’m excited for my 30s and the fun and exciting things it will bring.

Me: Whatever, but I’m definitely not skydiving.

Streeter: Sam, Sam, Sam. I should have guessed that the activity that brings one closest to the Gods would be the one that most disgusts your distinctly terrestrial mind. I can think of but two reasons for such timidness at the thought of soaring through the clouds. Either you fear death or you feel you are already borne on the wings of angels. Let us examine the first. To fear death is arrogance, plain as day. What will the world do if I am gone, you shriek! The world will continue as it has after the loss of bigger men than you, Reich. Do you not wish to live before you die? A man must earn his death, not merely wait for it. It was the great philosopher Mat Hoffman who once said “If I were to die with anything but a broken body, I would have wasted it.” Wise words. Or perhaps your fear of tumbling through the heavens is related to a sense that you are already elevated to the status of a God. Surely you must feel some sense of immortality as you gaze upon your smiling visage from the pages of the Forbes 30 under 30 list; as you smirk and deliver a 5 word acceptance speech at the Webbys; as you shout down commands to your wretched production staff from the safety of your glass cage of an office. Well let me be the first to tell you that you are decidedly not a God, Sam. You are a mortal man. A mortal man in need of a thrill. So I ask you to reconsider this absurd stance and join your brothers as we cast off the cumbersome shackle of gravity and soar upon the earth’s canopy. We shall be as Icarus and his father, you and I, but neither shall fly too close to the sun. For our wings are not made of wax, our wings are made of friendship, which can only be melted by cowardice.

Pussy.

As a new perk of the Premium account level, users who have upgraded their accounts will have their latest tweets, blog posts, Flickr photos, Facebook status updates and more updated on their Flavors site twice as fast.

We hope our Premium users will enjoy seeing quicker updates. If you haven’t gone Premium yet, log in today and click on the Upgrade icon in the navigation bar to unlock speedier updates. You’ll also get access to other great features like premium layouts, custom pages, and the option to use a custom domain for just $20 per year (less than $2 per month!).