A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER

"Born around the fire, enjoyed everywhere."

The best bonds I've built with others have always emerged through the chase of what could be described as a life-defining adventure. In my late teens to mid 20s, I chased swells and storms across different continents. Each journey would bring a new crew of people to life, intimately pursuing the same pleasure as I was and dealing with the same consequences. Through these ups and downs and chasing the ultimate goal of our endeavor (be it waves, snow, food, or a tour of a foreign city through the lens of a local firend), all the experiences were lived together. The stories of our lives formed, and the defining moments of our character came to life. We learned about one another through the stories we shared about our past, the dreams we had about our futures, and the experiences happening in real-time, told around the fire every night.

There we sat, full from a hot meal cooked over an open flame. Our emotional buckets full from the days activities, and in front of us, a sun setting behind the horizon lighting the sky a blaze of different colors. The crackle of the fire, accompanied by the laughter of friends and crashing waves on the shore consumed our ears. In that moment, the crew we'd put together had become a family - the countless snapshots I wish I had in my photo archives...

Sure, this was the extreme of it. Living out of a rented station wagon, sleeping off a dirt road on Australia's surf coast isn't for everyone (shout out to the donkey that woke us up that morning so we could get to Bells at first light). Sometimes, it's as simple as going to the local beach with your kids and watching them play in the sand as they dig up the sand crabs. It's a moment sitting by a stream or lake, watching your daughter catch her first fish, or maybe it's your son's first baseball season, and you've just witnessed his first home run... The emotional purity of each scenario is the same. The important thing, from my perspective, has always been the ability to confidently answer this one question: were you there for it? Did you see it? Feel it? Were you there to fully experience it with those around you... That's the question: Were you present in that moment?

That's where PARKIT entered my life. This idea that would bring back a sense of presentness to life. Put down the screen. Connect to the real tangible world, and focus on the connections, people, experiences & places directly in front of you. 

At PARKIT, we're building products to support this mission. Yes, while our products incorporate features that enable a more enjoyable seating experience, the original focus of PARKT was, is, and always will be to bring to life products and experiences that serve as a reminder to our customers that the things you love the most are often right in front of you: take that moment, have a seat, soak in that memory, and log as many of them as you possibly can. That's what you get to take with you when you go.

It's been 4-yrs now since we brought PARKIT to the public. Our timing couldn't have been more unique. A virus had shut down the world. Person-to-person connection was frowned upon, and there was PARKIT, getting its first steps underway to remind us to make time for the important people, events, and places in our lives. Find time to detach from the daily routine, to step into a day or two where the end is unknown...

We're here to remind everyone...  go find a beautiful spot with your partner to watch the sunset tonight, take your kids to the beach to play in the waves, and eat too many smore's around a bonfire. Invite that girl you're interested in on the camping trip to Joshua Tree. Load up the campervan with all the toys, find a sandbar on the river and dance till the stars come out... It's a life we're given, and a life given is a life worth living.

That's why we started PARKIT. So you can enjoy the best of these moments. Let’s make the most of these moments together. Grab a seat around the fire, and we’ll be waiting to hear your stories and share in the adventure.

#EnjoyTheExploration,

- Steven Wilcox, Founder, PARKIT Co.