Cutting for Stone, Go Cleveland! & Vacation Rhythms

3 Things I'm Loving, Reading, Watching or Doing

1. Cutting for Stone

I loved Verghese’s The Covenant of Water, and Cutting for Stone is right up there too. My only complaint is that it took me a really long time to love it. Maybe half the book. But as my librarian wife reminded me, that might be the price you pay to really develop characters and let a story unfold at its own pace. She’s probably right.

2. Go Cleveland!

I don’t get to celebrate many Cleveland sports victories, but this week was a rare treat: the Browns pulled out an improbable win on Sunday, AND the Guardians are somehow in the MLB playoff hunt despite having less than a 1% chance just four weeks ago. Do I think our culture pins way too many hopes and dreams on pro sports? Absolutely. Do I still get a lot of joy out of moments like these? Also absolutely.

3. College Admissions Resources

With a senior in high school, we’re officially in full-on college admissions mode. I’ve got plenty of thoughts about the ridiculous expectations we pile on 18-year-olds with SAT coaches, endless extracurriculars, declared majors, all just to get into a school that may or may not even hold long-term value. I’ll be tackling that in more depth soon. That said, there’s still an element of having to play the game, so today I’ll just share a couple of Instagram accounts that have offered helpful advice and personal essay tips along the way:

• Thomas Caleel

• M.C. Short

2 Quotes Worth Pondering

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” — Mark Black

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott

1 Big Dad Idea

Vacation Rhythms

Growing up, my family took one vacation a year, if that. My mom would squirrel away money all year so we could spend a few days at a lake or amusement park. Those trips usually included one night of eating out at a restaurant and a “back-to-school” outlet shopping day. We all thought it was amazing.

Fast forward: with my own family, our circumstances allow us to travel more frequently, and somehow, we’ve even developed different types of vacations. Who am I?!

• Fall Break: A “relaxing” week, at the same 2-bed/2-bath condo on 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. This spot is, in fact, where I’m writing this email today. Visual proof below (Ten years, same spot. Not bougie enough to spring for more than one bedroom for the five kids. Who’s on the floor tonight?😂)

After six weeks of school and crazy sports schedules, this is our do-nothing, reset-the-system week.

• Winter: A shorter, more adventurous trip like hiking, skiing, or something active.

• Summer: Our “go big” time. A longer trip to a new city, a national park, or visiting extended family.

I don’t take this for granted, and this certainly wasn’t always the case for us especially when all five of the kids were under 10. Back then, a single trip was all we could manage most years. If you’re fortunate enough to have more flexibility now, I’d encourage you to think intentionally about your vacation rhythms. Some should be true rest, others might be “Type 2 fun” (hard in the moment but great in retrospect). Together, they shape a more memorable, balanced year.

This current trip feels bittersweet as it’s likely the last fall break trip with all seven of us together. We’re cherishing every bit of the mundane—sitting around, talking, laughing, playing games. As a parent, you want time to stand still in these moments. Catherine Newman, in Sandwich (about her family vacationing together at the same beach spot for years), captures the feeling perfectly:

“Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other … Don’t move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.”