The Search is On

 

 

In the spirit of transparency, I want to provide a dispatch on my present transition period of having left my previous job of 20 years and now figuring out what's next for my career. Of course I look forward to when I can announce what I'm going to be doing. But, while I figure out what that is, there is much to share.

To begin with, most people I know don't do this. They look for a job while in their current job. So even if there is time between jobs, there is not uncertainty about where one will land after leaving their present occupation. 

Uncertainty for most people is a tiny amount of exciting and a large amount of terrifying. This is certainly true of me, with respect to my temperament, which is very good at planning way into the future, and my life situation, in which I am a middle aged man supporting an entire household who is now not earning a paycheck for an indefinite amount of time.

What has been fascinating about this period in my life is the strange juxtaposition of what makes up my days. Two weeks out from my last day on the job, I have spent a considerable amount of time in four ways (the 3rd and 4th below are distinct but with a fair amount of overlap):

1. Having fun - playing golf much more often than before, doing day trips and overnighters, and generally seeking out enjoyable activities that I had not had nearly as much space to access

2. Self-reflection - writing and thinking about my life, to myself, to see what patterns emerge about lessons learned and strengths to lean into and aspirations to pursue

3. Job-seeking - Making a list of people and organizations I may want to pursue for employment, and doing the hard work of getting to those people and organizations (through mutual contacts), doing my homework on them, and meeting with them

4. Staying in touch professionally - Keeping an ambitious calendar of meet-ups and networking events, to maintain connection with colleagues and stay up to date on what's going on in the worlds I swim in

That's a lot of different kinds of things to fill up my calendar with! In addition to my usual responsibilities to wife, kids, house, real estate investments, and broader relationships and obligations. But it feels like a good mix, which if it was less balanced wouldn't feel as productive for what I need at this stage in my life, which is itself a combination of:

1. Needing to rest from sustaining a punishing schedule for a very long time

2. Needing to figure out what it is I want to pursue in my career next

3. Putting in the time to explore opportunities that help me get there

As a person of faith, I believe that God orders our paths and opens our next doors, and so I have been praying for that and asking others to join me in that. But, that same faith experience also reminds me that God is God of past chapters and future chapters AND the uncertain in-between, and in fact those limbo moments are often times of great instruction and clarity and refinement.

So, all to say I am being proactive in doing the things I think are essential to move forward in my life. And, I am trying not to rush through to the next thing, but rather to sit in and even derive meaning from this present unknown. Keep me in your prayers and keep me in mind if anything comes your way that you think I could get into.

Travel Log: Long Island NY, May 2026

 

 

Destination: Long Island NY

Date: May 18-19, 2026

Party: 1

Itinerary:

M 5/18 

Drive from home, golf at Stonebridge

Lift/swim at Patchogue Family Y

Visit Greenport Village, Amagansett Square (10a-6p

Visit Montauk Point State Park, Montauk Lighthouse

Stay at Ocean Resort Inn

T 5/19 

Go to Main Beach, Cooper’s Beach, Ponquoque Beach

Golf at Rolling Oaks 

Swim at Patchogue Family Y

Visit Bayport Flower Houses, Jones Beach, Sea Cliff

Drive home

 

Spending:

Accommodations $156

 

Travel $537

 

Retail/Entertainment $94

Food $27

Total $814

 

 

 

 

Diversity is Worth the Effort But It Does Take Effort

 

Diversity is celebrated in this country and in our city, but we often experience far less of it than we would like to admit. Most of us want to be seen as open-minded, welcoming, and cosmopolitan, and yet if we really examine our social circles we realize they are quite homogenous. It takes real effort to truly interact with people different from us, even on a shallow level to say nothing of more substantive engagement. 

Amy and I have made big life choices, first in choosing each other and then in adopting three kids, that have afforded us the experience of racial and ethnic diversity, in that white and Black and Asian are represented within our nuclear family. Yet still rubbing elbows or going deep with the full gamut of humanity represented in our city, our country, and our generation often takes hard work or serendipity, or it doesn't happen at all.

After all, "diversity" isn't just things like race/ethnicity, gender, age, and sexual orientation, although those categorizations represent a spectrum of life perspectives that are important to accept and honor. Diversity in life perspectives also comes from things like what type of community we live in (urban or rural), how much money we came from (affluent or indigent), and whether disabilities or trauma have created physical or mental barriers that need to be navigated. And it can be harder to have access to interactions with others different from us in these ways, and these interactions can be complicated and depleting to take on if we are truly being willing to understand and absorb these differences.

Here I must admit that, while I see the benefits of a diverse social network and desire to make choices to access it, I also acknowledge that when we are blessed enough to have it in our lives, it is wonderful but also challenging. For example:

* My family of origin as well as my high school friend set was extremely Asian, while in my present life Asians are somewhat under-represented (save of course for the fact that 3/5ths of our household is Asian!), and while I have been blessed immeasurably from relationships with non-Asians I do sometimes wish I had stronger ties to my home culture. There have been, for example, many times I was the only non-white person in the room or the only non-Black person in the room; indeed, I work hard to seek out such opportunities because they are enriching and informative, but it can also be hard to navigate when everyone except you is the same.

* I'm glad for, but it can be bewildering at times, that I often zig-zag between groups of enormous socio-economic difference, from being privy to places like my immediate neighborhood and my Penn groups where many people (and their kids) have multiple Ivy League degrees and are quite affluent, as well as places where everyone is of extremely limited means (nearby public spaces, the emergency room at our local children's hospital). I'm thankful to have had opportunities to be both the most affluent and well-educated in a group as well as the least affluent and well-educated in a group, but I am not immune to the pride and envy that can come along with such stark differences.

* I'm thankful to have had strong relationships with Christians in college that continue to the present day, as well as strong relationships with people devout in other faiths as well as casual agnostics as well as vehemently anti-religion atheists, and I love having that spiritual plurality in my life, but it takes real and intentional work to both cultivate to your own beliefs while making space to be respectful of and inquisitive about others'. Going out of one's spiritual comfort zone is truly good for the soul, whether being sharpened by the godly example of those far more serious in the faith or grappling with how different divine perspectives relate to your own, but it does involve at least a temporary loss of comfort.

* We haven't even broached differences that are much harder for me to access, given that I live in a big city and don't often travel to rural areas to interact with people who have different perspectives and interests than I do. But when the opportunity affords itself, I do try to put in the work to be inquisitive and affirming, even if I don't otherwise have any reference point for things like hunting or the military or NASCAR. Even within my own city, I don't know what it's like to grow up poor or of another ethnic background or from a different era with its cultural touchstones and entertainment options, but I'm willing to listen and learn, even if there are days I long to be with others who are more like me in all of these ways.

I don't consider these reasons to not put in the work to access and celebrate diversity. But nor do I accept that desire for and enjoyment of diversity is easy, for it requires that we have intention to seek it out and imposes burdens that one must choose to bear. Is it worth it? Absolutely, wouldn't trade it for the world. But it is a trade, because it involves forgoing the comfort and ease of being among others like you, for the joyous yet not always easy work of being with, accepting, and truly listening to others not like you. 

Aaron's College Experience So Far

 

Aaron is about to finish his freshman year at Kansas State University, and we're pleased to report it has been a good first year away from home. Middle school and high school had its ups and downs for Aaron, and launching out into his own space so far away from us has afforded him many opportunities to mature and explore. 

We're particularly thankful he's found a group of good Christian men to grow together spiritually and have fun socially. He's even thinking intentionally with them about where he can live and serve for his sophomore year. A very mature and thoughtful thing to do!

He's done reasonably well academically as well. We're especially proud he's learning his own self-discipline around getting to class, remembering assignments, and studying for exams. I suspect that as he gets through his core requirements and chooses his electives, he'll be even more locked in.

We've missed having him at home and are glad he's choosing to come home this summer to work a lifeguard job, catch up with local friends, and be with family. Well done, young man!

Celebrating Mothers and Motherhood

 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and mother figures out there, starting with my queen and our family superstar Amy! What you do is literally life-giving and life-affirming!

Jada's Excellent Asia Adventures

 

Today is the first of a two-parter on how the older Huang kids are doing. We'll start with Jada, who is now several weeks into a 6-month internship with a law firm in Singapore through her Drexel cooperative learning program. 

Suffice to say that this aspiring world traveler is making the most of the opportunities her university and this work gig have afforded. Having spent a quarter in Taiwan for study abroad last fall, she is now getting an extended experience living and working in one of the truly great cities in Asia.

As she may choose to be a lawyer in the future, working for a small law firm is a fantastic platform to determine whether this is something she can do as a career and to gain skills and contacts if she goes that route. And, being in Singapore allows her to navigate yet another world-class city as a solo young woman, with all that goes into that, like finding a place to live, riding public transit, buying groceries, and yes every once in a while going out and having fun.

It's also been a great jumping off point for still more travel. When I visit her in July, we'll do a quick weekend jaunt to Kuching in Malaysia. She's already done a weekender to see friends in Hong Kong. And I'm told work will take her to Vietnam.

Our Jerds, lying in that orphanage for so many months, and now trotting the globe as a confident young woman. We're immensely proud of her accomplishments, and happy that she is living her best life. 

The Roast is On

 

A reminder that tonight I'll be celebrating my departure from my firm after 20 years at a roast to take place at The Enterprise Center. Doors open at 5pm and program starts at 6pm. To RSVP (to attend or to watch remotely), please go here. Should be a fun time...at my expense! 

Which I am more than game for, since I am a fan of the format and also want to normalize laughter and jokes and ribbing. Plus when else do you get to bring together all your favorite people, enjoy refreshments, and raise a bunch of money for organizations you adore. Hope you can come along!