One of my favorite parts about making fishing plans with a friend is the preparation ritual the night before.

Getting the coffee set to brew.

Organizing breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Filling water bottles.

Loading up the truck.

Topping off the tank.

Setting out layers, sunglasses, and a hat.

These steps aren’t unlike the ones I’d take if I were heading out on a solo venture. But within the context of a joint mission, as I move through my own motions, I like to imagine them doing the same in their own spaces and places across town.

And as the next day unfolds, I get to grin a bit as I take in the finished products—their assembled layers, the particular stack of meat, veg, and condiments that make up their sandwich, and the brand of bubbly beverage they’ve chosen to sip on while perched on a grassy bank.