Podcast Summary: The Wayback with Ryan Sickler

Episode 100: Ryan Sickler Throws a Project X Party in High School | The Wayback #100

Date: November 27, 2025

Overview

Celebrating a milestone 100th episode, Ryan Sickler takes listeners on a hilarious, often touching ride through his own “wayback”—a no-holds-barred, nostalgia-packed look at his turbulent youth in Baltimore and beyond. Guided by fan-suggested topics, Sickler uses Google Maps for a virtual tour of his childhood and adolescent homes, dropping stories of family chaos, wild parties, questionable parenting, and formative misadventures. The episode overflows with laughter, realness, and the candid reflections that have made The Wayback a fan favorite.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Virtual “Wayback” Tour of Ryan’s Childhood & Family Saga

[04:11–16:52]

• Birth & Family Origins:

  • Born in Baltimore, 1973; a fraternal twin conceived via fertility medication.
  • “I am strictly a byproduct of this medication. And I’m on house money, y’all. I got two diseases...yet here we are 100th episode.” (Ryan Sickler, 05:14)

• Moving for Dad’s Job—Leaving the Family Dog:

  • Quick moves from Baltimore to Houston and back again; painful stories of leaving their dog behind.
  • “The dog was so devastated, it tore their place apart. I think we all know what happened to Brandy.” (Ryan, 07:04)

• Family Upheaval & Mother’s Affair:

  • Mom’s affair with a much older cabinet builder, leading to frequent moves, financial strain, and fights.
  • “Yeah, no shit. You cheated on Dad in that house and ruined the whole family.” (Ryan, 09:15)

• Infamous Pool Days:

  • Summer spent cleaning dead squirrels and snakes out of the older man’s neglected pool to swim (“no filter, no nothing, just a pool” – 15:48).

2. After the Split: Parental Rejection & DIY Family

[16:52–18:35]

• Mother’s Abandonment:

  • Court drama as Ryan’s mom openly rejects custody of him in favor of his brothers, leading to full custody by his father.
  • "She says, 'I'll take my son, Todd; Darren can come if he wants. I don't want Ryan.' When the judge hears that, she's like, 'That's the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.'" (Ryan, 17:07)

• Frequent Moves, Survival, & Single Dad Life:

  • Hustle of keeping the family afloat with little money, shifting from cramped apartments to shared bedrooms, and living without parental supervision for long stretches.

3. The Legendary Carroll County Party (“Project X Party”)

[18:35–20:59]

• Carroll County’s Wildest Party—July 3, 1991:
  • With mom long gone and their father dead, the Sickler house becomes the scene of a massive, mythic party with “hundreds of people.”
  • “We had people over here directing you to park, putting people in stalls and rows…looked like the carnival was in town. When the police, the state troopers, came…the guy said, ‘Who's in charge of parking over there?’ … He’s like, ‘Best park I ever seen at a party.’” (Ryan, 19:56)

4. Post-Party: Homelessness, Grandmother’s House, & Catonsville

[20:59–22:22]

• Kicked Out & Living with Grandma:

  • After the party, with adulthood looming, Ryan is kicked out (“once we turned 18...you're out”) and stays in a tiny basement bedroom at his grandmother’s house.

• Early College Life & True “JuCo” Grit:

  • Enrolls at Catonsville Community College (“13th and 14th grade”), working at UPS to get by.

5. Fan-Suggested Memories: The Stalker, Mental Hospital, Honda Civic, and More

[23:37–36:53]

• First Job at UPS (Joe Avenue):

  • Ryan reminisces about back-breaking labor and learning the value of hard work.

• Buying the Honda Civic from a Junkyard:

  • Learning to drive amidst “yard cars” and adult chaos; accidental lessons in crime.
  • “This is where I’m driving stolen cars and not knowing it…this is quite an education at this place.” (Ryan, 23:57)

• Springfield Mental Hospital Proximity:

  • The neighborhood is so close, the hospital campus is the local playground: “That's why we would drive through and look for this crazy lady that would dive on your car.” (Ryan, 24:26)

• The Stalker & the Cheesesteak Incident:

  • Wild, detailed recounting of being stalked by a married classmate in college, who begins showing up at his house, throwing cheesesteaks at him in astronomy class, and harassing his grandmother.
  • “This woman stands up, turns around in the middle of class…and launches a fucking foot-long cheesesteak into my chest.” (Ryan, 32:32)
  • “That show would be so viral today.” (Ryan, 35:09)

6. More Baltimore Stories & Reflections

[27:21–36:53]

• Madden Tournament in Highland Town:

  • Hanging out with friends, watching strangers slip on icy sidewalks.
  • “Our whole entertainment is…just watching people just fall on the ice. One after the other.” (Ryan, 27:33)

• Family Moves & City Education:

  • Charting aunt Marguerite’s “big move” out of Baltimore and musings on how close “escaping the city” really was (“3 miles away…That was the big move.” – 31:34).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family & Fate:

  • "I'm on house money, y'all. You know what I mean? ... Here we are, 100th episode." (Ryan, 05:14)

• On Childhood Survival:

  • "The whole time my mom’s banging this dude, we're just out here cleaning dead squirrels and shit out so we could swim in a goddamn summer." (Ryan, 15:57)

• On Parental Rejection:

  • "My mom goes to court and says, 'I'll take my son, Todd. Darren can come if he wants. I don't want Ryan.' ... The judge is like, 'That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.'" (Ryan, 17:07)

• On Throwing the Party of the Century:

  • "It looked like the carnival was in town…state trooper goes, 'Best park I ever seen at a party.'" (Ryan, 19:56)

• On Being Stalked:

  • “She turns around in the middle of class and launches a fucking foot-long cheesesteak into my chest.” (Ryan, 32:32)
  • "My brother is sitting at the kitchen table eating that cheesesteak. He’s like, 'It's a great cheesesteak.' And I was like, 'Yeah, but that one might be poisoned, you dumbass.'" (Ryan, 35:33)

Timestamps for Key Topics

• [04:11] – Ryan’s birth, early years in Baltimore & Houston, family background
• [09:15] – Mother’s affair, house moves, neglected pool stories
• [16:52] – Court custody battle, mother’s infamous rejection
• [18:35–20:59] – The Project X/Carroll County party recap
• [20:59] – Homelessness, living at grandma’s, starting college
• [23:37] – UPS job, buying the Civic at Mount Airy auto wrecking
• [24:26] – Tales of Springfield Mental Hospital
• [26:19] – The time Ryan’s mom ran over a kid (outlet trip anecdote)
• [27:21] – Baltimore city stories, Highland Town, “You guys know Trey?”
• [32:06] – The college stalker & cheesesteak saga

Closing Notes & Look Ahead

Ryan closes out the 100th episode by teasing the upcoming “Baltimore Junkyard Series” with his brothers, inviting fans to tune in for more stories and supporting his work (“They tried to kill this special and y’all won’t let it. Thank you so much!” – 36:53).

Tone & Style:
Sickler’s raw, self-deprecating humor and storytelling shine throughout, seamlessly blending ribald laughter with honest, sometimes dark reflections—always in his own unmistakable Baltimore-inflected voice.

This summary is designed as an engaging, informative guide for longtime fans and newcomers alike—delivering both the chronology and heart of a classic, milestone “Wayback.”