It sure was odd. And for a couple of months right after that, I went through periods where I felt like I was going insane, myself. It's hard when people die young, and then one becomes much more aware of one's own mortality and starts to wonder about life.

I can remember going trail-running about a month after he disappeared, and having really strange feelings while running by myself (I was with other people who were ahead of/behind me). It changed my sense of "communing with nature."

It also changed my family's relationship with Mt. Rainier. We've always gone out to the mountain each summer to visit, but now it's a visit to Zachary on top of being a visit to an incredibly beautiful place.