Bobby Johnson wasn't a classmate I'd lost touch with. 

Over the past 20 years, I've been in and out of contact with a handful of my classmates from Aurora High School, but Bobby has been a constant presence, so much so that my kids consider him an uncle. 

Bob, as he is known now, is the middle of three boys who grew up in the country south of Aurora, just where the hills of the Ozarks meet the plateau where the Summit City of the Ozarks sits. 

We were in many classes together over the years, not to mention band and quiz bowl, but we didn't really become close friends until college, when he was also attending the University of Missouri and we fell into some of the same social circles.

By the time we graduated from college, he was my brother from another mother, and we've seen each other at least once a year since. He loves hanging with my kids, and I adore his wife, Tiffany, with whom he now has 10-month-old baby and a small farm in North Missouri. 

A month before they became parents, Bobby and I set up a Zoom chat that, at the time, was an experiment for this podcast. I interviewed him and he interviewed me, and our conversations felt so complementary that I decided to publish them in the same episode. 

In this conversation, you'll hear about Bobby's path toward getting a PhD in science, learning Persian, starting a family and moving (during a pandemic) from California to Kirksville, Missouri, where he's now teaching agriculture science. Then, we turn the tables and he asks me about my life in Austin, my job and my thoughts about Aurora. (I was still working as a food writer at the Austin American-Statesman at the time of our chat.) 

Thanks to Patreon supporters who help pay for the production of this show through donations that start at $3 per month. Find out more at patreon.com/classreunionpodcast.

Each week, I make a donation to a nonprofit selected by a classmate, and this week, Bobby and I each picked an organization we support. Bobby picked Planned Parenthood of Springfield, which provides access to reproductive care to Missourians who need it, and I selected the GLO Center, the oldest operating LGBTQ+ center in the State and the only one serving the Ozarks.

"Class Reunion: The Podcast" is produced by Addie Broyles.