One of my earliest complete memories ever was playing Legos with Evan. He always had such an epic collection of Knights and Pirates Legos, and there was nothing quite like going over to the Scofield’s house and setting up crazy scenes that could be refashioned in as many ways as we could dream up. When I was asked to scatter Evan in Denmark at Legoland, it was obvious why he had chosen this place. Our friendship was literally built upon these tiny blocks and I knew that it represented a place to construct endless ideas and infinite futures. Of course, this was in addition to our other Scandinavian connection – when I was studying abroad in Norway, Evan and Jake came to visit me in Oslo. It’s safe to say this was one of the best trips we ever took together and solidified the importance of Scandinavia in our lives.

The trip to Legoland itself was like many of the trips I took with Evan – the weather was terrible, the food was bad, and there was no one normal to talk to. But also like many of the trips I took with Evan, I found a way to have an incredibly good time. Overcoming the weather and the food was easy; just suck it up! Be glad the earth is still there and there is something to provide sustenance. It also didn’t matter that there was no one to talk to (they seemed to be insulted by me trying to speak Norwegian with them), and I decided to do as Evan would – explore the surroundings. I ended up walking through the village where the Lego employees live and found little secret pathways and wooded areas that I can guarantee 99% of visitors to Legoland never see. Spurred by Evan’s sense of adventure, it was my obligation to make the best out of the experience and see as much as possible. To me, this was a much better homage to him than spending all my time in the theme park (though I know he also would have loved that).

In Copenhagen, I knew there was only one place that would be truly appropriate for scattering Evan – the barracks of the old city. With the help of my friend Vicky (who had met Evan during our time in Norway) I was able to find a perfect spot that was next to cannons and over a moat; truly a throwback to our time of playing with Knights and Pirates Legos. By then, the weather had also cleared up, which I took as a sign that it was the right time to set him free.

As a final note, I should mention that Evan and I both loved to watch The Big Lebowski, and I promised myself that I wouldn’t have a “Big Lebowski moment” where the ashes end up blowing all over my face. Most of them made it into the grassy hill and the moat below, but I’m pretty sure there was a cosmic mandate that some of the ashes had to blow all over my pants. At least this way he was stuck in the fibers of my clothing for the remainder of my time in Denmark. 

  - Sam Marx