WELLcome Home, Zack Slabotsky!
We're excited to continue our monthly feature highlighting someone awesome who has recently moved back to Metro Detroit after adventures away!
This month, we'd like to (re)introduce you to Zack Slabotsky!
TW: You recently returned to Metro Detroit after spending some time away. What brought you back?
ZS: First and foremost, I have the chance to do what I love and work with my dad as a financial advisor. It's awesome to have helping friends become my job. Secondly, it's been really exciting watching Detroit's revival from afar, and I wanted to contribute and be closer to the action. Lastly, it's been really nice living closer to my family and the friends I grew up with.
TW: Where did life take you before you returned home?
ZS: I spent seven years in NY, first upstate for undergrad at Cornell, then in Manhattan for three years. After New York, I came most of the way home, spending two years in Ann Arbor for grad school. Most recently, I lived in Austin, Texas for a couple years. Both NYC and Austin were incredibly fun and exciting places to live. Austin in particular felt like a two-year vacation; it's definitely worth a visit for anyone who hasn't been. I'm happy to share restaurant and tourist recommendations with anyone going.
TW: What fictional place would you most like to travel to (and why?)
ZS: I'm a huge Game of Thrones nerd, so I'd have to see Westeros. My sister Annie and I actually visited the location in Seville where they film Dorne (check out the picture). It wasn't the same without the Martells and the Sand Sisters though.
TW: What is your ideal Saturday?
ZS: A boxing workout at Jab's Gym, a tailgate in Ann Arbor, a Michigan football stomping of some poor Big Ten foe, and a Middle-Eastern dinner back in Birmingham would make for an awesome Saturday. If I had any energy left, I'd end the day at a bar downtown. I want to spend more time in Detroit once the weather warms up.
TW: What's your favorite game?
ZS: Since I was old enough to walk, basketball has been my answer. I'm a huge fan of the Pistons and Wolverines, and I play in Monday and Wednesday night leagues. Playing twice a week for the first time since college has been a serious treat since moving back.
TW: As a kid, what did you want to be when you "grew up?"
ZS: I still remember this assignment from kindergarten; we had to draw pictures of who we wanted to be when we were older, and I essentially drew my future self as Michael Jordan wearing a Detroit Pistons jersey. That dream... hasn't quite worked out. At least not yet.
TW: What was your AIM screen name and how did you choose it?
ZS: ILuvLA8. Before I had any sechel, I was a big fan of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups came to the rescue and changed that in a big way, but I never updated my screen name. Ironically, I ended up despising Kobe as much as just about any athlete ever.
TW: What do you look for in your Jewish community?
ZS: The instant connections, support network, and social circle a strong Jewish community can offer are incredible. I literally did not know a soul when I moved to Austin, but the Jewish community there welcomed me and quickly helped me make friends create an awesome life for myself. I'm excited to participate in and contribute to a similar environment at home in Michigan.
TW: When I go to The Well...
I'm excited to meet new people, learn new things, and participate in unique events. It's incredible to see what The Well is building, and I feel fortunate that I've been able to participate.
