Connecting with My Doppelgänger

I was scrolling Instagram about a year ago  when I stumbled upon a Las Vegas food influencer named Angel Khonesavanh, aka @keytomyheartofficial. I blinked, paused and stared, then sent the post to my wife. “This guy kinda looks like me, yeah?” She laughed: “Wow—he really does.”

Original photo by Cody Kawamoto. Photo illustration via Midjourney

It was a parallel-universe version of myself cryptically showing up on my feed. And as I scrolled through his content—mostly him exuding good vibes as he ate his way across Vegas—my curiosity grew, a subtle pull. It wasn’t just that we looked alike; there was something else.

Was it sheer coincidence or maybe an algorithmic occurrence that a stranger with my face, hairstyle, glasses and build appeared before me?

I grew up 2,700 miles away, more than a decade earlier, but I kept wondering, could that have been me?

I couldn’t stop thinking about what this all meant. I considered reaching out and casually telling Angel to keep doing what he’s doing, then dropping a “by the way, we kinda look alike.” But I hesitated out of fear of being brushed off or seeming weird. I also didn’t want him to think I wanted something from him.

Eventually, I sent him a short DM. Nothing heavy. No pressure to respond. But he did—within a couple of days—and to my surprise, we’ve had a genuinely kind exchange ever since.

Angel’s in his mid-30s, Laotian and was born and raised on Vegas’ east side. On Instagram, where he’s outgoing and not camera shy at all, he posts his takes on things, like Shake Shack’s trending Dubai Chocolate pistachio shake. I grew up 2,700 miles away, more than a decade earlier, but I kept wondering, could that have been me? One time, he even joked, “Yeah, you could be my older brother.”

I asked him how he got so confident on camera. I expected him to say he was always outgoing. Instead, he told me he still gets uncomfortable recording himself. “You just do it,” he said. That struck me. His on-screen energy seems so natural, expressive, extroverted and full of life. And yet, behind it all, he’s pushing through the same doubts as me.

We’ve kept the convo light, just a few DMs here and there. Recently, he mentioned some of his friends were flying to O‘ahu for a wedding, and I was happy to offer restaurant suggestions.

Then I began thinking existentially: Who are we, really, beyond bios, job titles and Instagram posts? If I had to describe myself, what would I say? That question lingered, then I went even deeper. It wasn’t just that Angel and I looked alike—I recognized me in him. It was like two versions of a person split by time, geography and personality. Quietly parallel.

Watching Angel being himself, unfiltered, made me realize how the world only knows the quieter version of myself, the behind-the-scenes guy who keeps a private Instagram account. Yet part of me longs to be open and visible, someone who lives fully in the moment.

Maybe this look-alike wasn’t put before me to make me laugh or do a double take, but to wake me up. It was as if the universe was asking: Are you paying attention? It’s easy to lose touch with one’s true self, the part who wants to be seen, acknowledged and connected. I’m convinced now this encounter with Angel wasn’t about resemblance but remembrance, to guide me to the part of me that’s eager to emerge.

Cody Kawamoto is the former creative director of Hawai‘i Home & Remodeling Magazine.