Question for you about the end of August...
Question for you about the end of August...
I haven't talked about what brings me joy for a long time, but I have things to share that really do bring it in! And I would love to hear from YOU about where you stand on some of this.
I never know what people are interested to hear from me in my weekly newsletter, so when I sit down to write are share, it usually comes as just a stream of thoughts that keep me up at night. So yes, as you see what I’ve got to share this week, I hope you enjoy the mixed bag that my brain is. Thank you for being here on this journey.
One of the things that I’m most excited to share about this week is not related to kids or travel or anything else (and yet ultimately is), but I’m excited to share my thoughts on the changes to the upcoming presidential election. I’m usually 80% doomsday when I think about what’s happening in politics and for Florida specifically, but this week my brain is in a happy place. And it’s back to school. And D23 happened (I may geek out).
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s ahead today:
New travel articles - Juneau AK Guide, Talkeetna AK and the Wilderness Lodge
Wildlife Explored - sharing wildlife tips and my favorite photography
Back to School talk - the good, the bad and the vague
D23 - I knew Disney was going to announce this!!!
My hopes for the USA…
Everything else travel related can be found over on 2TravelDads.com, because I have been working on on keeping it updated and fresh. Next week I’ll share updates on Rocky (our rescue cat) and other life events for us…
Parenting is Hard - Back to School is Welcome
I don’t know what’s happening in your home tomorrow, but for us it’s the first day of school. We’ve had such a full summer, I feel like tomorrow is going to feel blank. I know it won’t be empty as I have an endless stack of work to do, but feeling blank is how I can best describe it. There won’t be the background noise of audiobooks and kid-negotiations, there won’t be seventy snack requests throughout the day. If I get into the pool for a sec, there won’t be an immediate cannonball towards my open eyes.
Back to school is always such a mixed bag for me because I really do love our summer time together, but also we need some time apart. To appreciate each other more at this point. With Oliver going into 8th grade and Elliott going into 4th, we have two very different kids today than last summer. We’ve had some incredible time together and really are working hard to stay patient with one another… I think getting back into our school routine is just what we need to help us in this unique time.
My Summer Take-aways re: Dad Stuff
I think what stands out the most to me about this summer is that kids want to be listened to. They don’t necessarily what their way with everything, but just that kids want to be heard. I saw this with our activities during our trips this summer, I saw it when we had downtime at home, and I saw it just last night as we watched the Olympics together. Kids, especially older ones, want to share their thoughts and feel listened to.
When we plan trips, I always ask the boys what they’re interested in doing (and it’s usually mini-golf related) and we let that shape some of our travel. When we’re at home it’s more complicated, because it’s no longer new and interesting places with stuff that we haven’t done before, but it’s “I would like to go to Barnes & Noble and Target.” They want to buy stuff. Or it’ll be “Let’s go to the Pokémon store” but not for a tournament, but to buy stuff. It’s difficult to make plans when we’re at home that consider their expressed interest because we’re not just going to spend the summer shopping… So ultimately, finding a balance of yes and no with it was hard, but it wasn’t always a no, so even if they’re being poopy about things, they’ve been heard and we HAVE done the few things they want.
The other thing I really saw this summer with the boys was that they really do still like us and want to spend time with us. Of course it’s always most obvious when there’s actual work with a deadline/schedule or a meeting. That’s when they’re always the most interested in spending time together. But also just hanging out and cooking together or biking, that’s something they craved this summer and we’ve been able to do. They want to sit down and play games and they want to talk about the books they’re reading. It’s nice to feel wanted by your kids, especially as I hear from other parent-friends how their kids are distancing themselves… I’m going to try to maintain the balance we have for as long as possible.
Wildlife Photography: Why I’m Shifting Focus
Last week I shared about my wildlife photography (follow my Instagram for it here!) and how that’s something I’m going to be writing about and sharing more. I find a lot of joy in both the adventure of seeking out wildlife AND the photo production side of things. I really do enjoy going through my camera roll and reliving my previous wildlife encounters. But what does this all have to do with my future plans?
I know that as the kids get older they’re either not going to be able to travel as much with us or maybe even want to, but you know who doesn’t mind when I go on adventures to write about things? The wildlife I find out in nature! As I think about how my job will change in the coming years, I’m working on setting myself up to have a solid side hustle or career that focuses on nature and doesn’t require my whole family to participate. Of course I hope they always want to be a part of things, but I don’t want to limit myself to their interest and availability. And I love nature so much that this absolutely makes sense.
D23 - Super Exciting Announcements!
I know this is random and may not apply to everyone’s interest or travel plans, but Disney made some big announcements at D23 (their annual convention) that are pretty awesome. Disney is making some huge updates to Walt Disney World and Disneyland that are going to keep it on pace with the updates Universal is doing. Thank you, Universal Orlando, for lighting a fire under Disney’s butt and inspiring them to FINALLY give us a villain themed area!!
Among the things Disney announced that I think are the coolest and that I’m most looking forward to are:
Villain Land in Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World)
Both Indiana Jones AND Encanto attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Cars attractions at Walt Disney World
Avatar attractions at Disney’s California Adventure and much more
With Universal opening Epic Universe here in Florida next year, I’ve been expecting Disney to make some big announcements to stay both relevant and competitive in the theme park game. I know that there will always be people who are solidly Disney folks, but with the new attractions and updates, I think they’re making an effort to appeal to different crowds. Maybe it’s all still just for the Disney-die-hards, I don’t know, but I’m excited.
Travel Updates - Where we’re heading
This summer was such a whirlwind with Montana, Alberta and Alaska, so it’s been nice to be home for a fair portion of July and all of August. Oh wait, we’re still heading to Maine this month!!! Yes, at the end of the month we’re heading up to Maine for our annual summer trip, but this time instead of being their for Lobsterfest and exploring primarily MidCoast Maine, we’re going to be doing Southern Maine. We’ll be visiting Ogunquit, Saco and all the little towns around Portland. I think it’ll be a fun new twist to a place we already love.
Also, next month I’m heading back to Alaska. Yes, after being gone from AK for twenty years I’ll have been up there in June, July and September all of 2024. This time, I’ll be visiting King Salmon and Lake Clark National Park, Anchorage, and doing some glacier hiking out of Palmer. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some time in Denali since that was foiled this July, but we’ll see.
October and November are still a bit up in the air. Chris has a lot of work travel and we’re trying to have more time at home, so we’ll see, but we may have an amazing adventure coming to us this fall. Stay tuned…
My Hopes for the USA
And now, to close out the week I wanted to share where I’m at with all things political happening in the USA. Last week I shared a lot about how to talk with people who have political views that are different from the progressive side of things, and how to connect with people who are in a political-cult-mindset. It was well received and I was able to use my own advice in several discussions. HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TRY THE CONVERSATION TIPS?
With that, something I haven’t even gotten to talk about in my newsletter is how excited I am for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I think she is an awesome person and she’s an actual human with a human side to her that’s visible. People slander her and make baseless claims about her time as prosecutor in California, but their arguments aren’t founded on facts. She’s against criminals, she’s for women’s rights, she’s an ally for the LGBTQ+ community, and she surrounds herself with good people who make good things happen. I am so excited that she is such a solid person and exceptional candidate for president.
Add to her awesomeness her VP pick, Tim Walz, and I think it’s a really good, hopeful choice for America. He is everything I love about my Midwestern friends and the welcoming, wholesome side of the Midwest that we’ve experienced. He’s got actual experience making things happen for kids at both the school level and state government level. If there was a teacher/coach figure that I would trust based on public impressions and track record (cuz I don’t know him personally) it would be him.
I think the Democratic ticket for this presidential election is exciting, hopeful in terms of shutting down bigotry and Trumpism, and is just what the USA needs to get us back into the progressive country of the future we all dream of. ARE YOU ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THE LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT AND HOPE?
I know that not everything is all wine and roses with every candidate and policy and approach, but these two are our greatest hope and I think they’ll do amazing things to get our country back into a mode that’s good for us all.
That’s it for today. Thank you for following along and making a place for me to share what’s happening in my mind and world. I hope we all have an awesome August and that the fall season shapes into something wonderful for all of us!