Travel Log: Connecticut, July 2026

 

 

 

Destination: Connecticut

Date: July 5 to July 10, 2026

Party: 1

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Drive to hotel in New Haven CT after Asher sleepaway camp drop-off

Day 2 - Swim at Soundview Family Y, golf at Alling Memorial, sightseeing on Yale campus (Cushing Center, Chapel Street, Haas Family Arts Library, New Haven Green, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Sterling Memorial Library, Grove Street Cemetery, Divinity Library

Day 3 - Run to Long Wharf Pier, golf at VUE CT, sightseeing on Yale campus (Peabody Museum, New Haven Museum, Yale Center for British Art, Yale University Museum of Art, Louis' Lunch, Arethusa Farm Dairy)

Day 4 - Swim at Soundview Family Y, sightseeing in Old Lyme (Duck River Cemetery, Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, Lyme Art Association, Florence Griswold Museum), sightseeing in Hartford (Connecticut State Capitol, Ancient Burial Ground, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Old State House, Mortensen Riverfront Plaza), check into hotel

Day 5 - Bike at Downtown Hartford Y, golf at Gillette Ridge, sightseeing in Hartford (Elizabeth Park Conservancy, Mark Twain House & Museum, Stowe Center for Literary Activism, Parkville Market, drive home

Spending:

Transportation $505

Accommodations $404

Food $58

Entertainment $240

Total $1,207

 

 

Travel Log: Virginia, June/July 2026

 

 

Destination: Virginia

Date: June 28 to July 2, 2026

Party: 1

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Drive to hotel in Winchester VA after Asher sleepaway camp drop-off

Day 2 - Golf at Blue Ridge Shadows, drive through Shenandoah National Park for pics/hiking, detour to Luray Caverns and Dukes of Hazzard Museum, spend night at Lewis Mountain Cabins

Day 3 - Drive through Shenandoah National Park for pics/hiking, drive to Charlottesville, visit Cater Mountain Orchards + Monticello + Highland, check into hotel in Charlottesville

Day 4 - Visit Brooks Family Y, golf at Meadowcreek, visit Kluge-Ruge Aboriginal Art Collection + IX Art Park + McGuffey Art Center + Downtown Mall + UVA 

Day 5 - Visit Brooks Family Y, visit Market at Grelen + Montpelier + Main Street Orange, visit friend in Fairfax, drive home

Spending:

Transportation $472

Accommodations $417

Food $61

Entertainment $266

Total $1,216

 

A few additional notes beyond the facts above, to provide some flavor to my trip.

* Virginia's natural beauty showed out, whether I was driving through Shenandoah National Park or playing golf or eating my way through a family farm.

* I stayed in a cabin halfway through my drive through Shenandoah, which there were plenty of others roughing it harder than me (some who were walking the whole thing and/or pitching a tent), but for this city slicker it was an adjustment to not have wifi and to worry about food storage to avoid bear attacks.

* It was interesting to visit the homes of three founding fathers (Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe), who were 3 of the 1st 5 US presidents, right around America's 250th birthday, and with our nation still grappling with the confounding paradox of our earliest leaders expounding on the primacy of freedom while enslaving other humans.

 * Temps exceeded 100 for the last 2+ days of my trip, necessitating a state of constant vigilance around shade and hydration.

 

 

Travel Log: Cabo, June 2026

 

Destination: Cabo

Date: June 14-25, 2026

Party: 2 (Lee, Asher)

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Fly to Cabo via Denver, get rental car and groceries, drive 90 minutes to Cabo Pulmo National Park, check into resort, swim in resort pool

Days 2-4 - Hiking in the mountains, walk to nearby beaches, swim in resort pool, drive 2.5 hours to Cabo San Lucas, get groceries, check into condo unit

Days 5-8 - walk to Marina, boat tour to Arch, walk to Mexican buffet, drive 40 minutes to San Jose del Cabo, get groceries, check into condo unit

Days 9-12 - drive to downtown sites, drive to beaches and Shoppes at Palmilla, rent bikes to City Market, fly home via Austin

Spending:

Transportation $1,964

Accommodations $1,475

Food $392

Entertainment $118

Total $3,949

A few additional notes beyond the facts above, to provide some flavor to our trip together.

* Travel to and from Cabo was generally without incident. We had a 5am flight out so I had to wake Asher up at 3ish but he was game. Philly to Denver and Denver to Los Cabos went fine, as did customs on the way into Mexico. On the way home, Los Cabos to Austin went fine, as did customs on the way back into the US. Alas, we incurred an additional 3 hours of layover in Austin, first because our plane had a mechanical issue so they had to find another one, and second because our pilot got stuck in traffic and was late getting to the airport. So instead of a 9pm touchdown (already late for us!) we landed well after midnight and didn't get home until 1am.

* I found driving in Mexico to be an adventure. Some stop signs did not appear to be recognized, while in other cases there was no stop sign so I'd wait for crossing traffic because I didn't think they'd stop and they'd slow down and wave us through annoyingly as if we should've already gone. The main roads to Cabo Pulmo are completely unpaved and in some places are bumpy, hilly, and/or right on a cliff, so I white-knuckled it all the way. And, I kept missing turns, partly because I'd never been and partly because Google Maps gave everything in meters.

* Soriana Hiper is like our Walmart, a go-to before each of our three destinations for groceries and prepared foods. Asher enjoyed getting baked goods as well as one mango per meal, so about 30 for the trip. Super clutch was our rental car helper's advice to get stuff in town before making the 90-minute drive out to Cabo Pulmo since there's absolutely nothing out there. Our first place had a water cooler, but our 2nd and 3rd places did not, so we went through about a liter per day per person of store-bought jugs.

* Our first place, in Cabo Pulmo, was a cute villa with its own yard and porch; alas, it didn't have wifi so it was Asher's least favorite, as he had to go to the front of the property and sit in the restaurant to play is online games. Our second place, in Cabo San Lucas, was a 2-bedroom condo in a bustling neighborhood that was about a 15-minute walk from the marina, CSL's main tourist destination. Our third place, in San Jose del Cabo, was an amazing 2-bedroom unit in a luxury property, which we lucked into because our original reservation had a glitch so we had to rebook on the fly. Asher adored that place, as did I, as it had a huge balcony with water views, high-end furnishings and decor, and an infinity pool on the rooftop lounge. Each of the places had a pool, which was a great respite from the heat and something we enjoyed almost every day to cool off and be lazy.

* In Cabo Pulmo, I went for a run as soon as we'd unpacked, and literally five seconds I got stung by a hornet on the arm. The next day, running down the same pathway, I got three stings, two in the back and one in the shoulder. Needless to say, I avoided that route for the rest of our stay and went the long way. The first sting was the worst, and for about 48 hours the whole area was red and swollen, but thankfully it went away after that. 

* In Cabo Pulmo, the beach is about 2 minutes away through the back of the property, or about a 10-minute walk outside the front of the property. Alas, Asher never wanted to hang on there because it was far too hot in the middle of the day, so we only did short jaunts first thing in the morning. We also drove a short distance to an early morning hike halfway up a mountain, before it got too steamy for Asher to want to continue. Cabo Pulmo is known for its snorkeling, but that is too involved of an activity for Asher so we passed. 

* In Cabo San Lucas, we enjoyed a boat tour to the Arch, one of CSL's signature tourist sights. It was a beautiful day to be on the water, and more than made up for the walking in circles it took for us to find the tour, given that the website was wrong about the ticket office and three separate people who I asked for help were also wrong, so we tried four different locations on the marina before finding the actual check-in. After the boat tour, Asher wanted to go to a sushi restaurant right on the water but it wasn't going to open for two hours so we waited out the heat in a Starbucks, where for the price of two drinks we were able to access wifi, an outlet, and bathrooms. Another day we walked a mile in the opposite direction of the marina to try out a Mexican buffet. On another day, we drove to a nearby country club so I could hit golf balls at the practice range while Asher had a burger and fries. 

* In Cabo San Lucas, there was a popular restaurant right outside our unit. One night it erupted in cheers when Mexico won its World Cup match. Another night there was a very loud party in the parking lot of the restaurant that started around when we went to bed and continued all the way until after we woke up the next morning. Somehow Asher slept through all of it even though his bedroom window was closest to the action.

* In San Jose del Cabo, we drove to and walked around the downtown core one day, including the main plaza and art district, and got tacos at a fun restaurant that was showing World Cup action. The next day we drove to two beaches to take pictures and then went to a high-end resort to walk around the shopping area and grab a smoothie at its cafe. The third day we rented bikes and went to a high-end shopping center to window shop and get prepared foods. 

* In San Jose del Cabo, we enjoyed the decadence of our nice unit. Asher had his own bedroom and bathroom, but he really wanted mine, which had a walk-in closet, heated toilet seat, and direct access to the balcony. I spent a lot of time on that balcony, in self-reflection and journaling and prayer, as well as looking out into the water, so I will remember that for a very long time. 

Travel Log: Poconos, June 2026

 

 

Destination: Poconos

Date: June 8-9, 2026

Party: 2 (Lee, Jim)

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Drive to Poconos, lunch, warm-up, round, dinner

Day 2 - Swim at Pocono Family Y, round, lunch, drive home

Spending:

Transportation $151

Accommodations $0 (Jim covered)

Food $0 (Jim covered)

Entertainment $220 (I covered)

Total $371

 

Chores Over the Years

 

Amy and I bought our house in March 2000, when we were in our mid-twenties. I can still remember closing on the sale, celebrating at a nearby restaurant, and then breaking out in a cold sweat realizing I was personally responsible for an entire residential structure.

I'm not handy now, and I was even less handy back then. My two responses to this - gaining a new responsibility and having no idea how to handle it - were to study up, and to put myself on a schedule. Meaning I dug into "Dummies" books and "how-to" sites online, on things you need to do as a homeowner. And then I created a calendar for when those things needed to be done. I figured that I couldn't always prevent problems, but that it was worth it for me to invest an ounce of prevention since I was sure I wasn't ready to bear the pound of cure if I didn't.

These chores have become part of the regular rhythm of a given year. I clean every window and door in the house in April and October, turn off the outside water spigot once winter hits, and install room air conditioning units prior to the first hot spell of the year (because we don't have central air). Twice a year, I go all the way up to the roof of the house to see if our water sealant is holding up and our gutters are clean. Once a year, I check every circuit breaker in our panel. And so on and so forth.

Not the sort of fun activity one imagines when the weekend beckons. But it's the responsible thing to do if you're a homeowner, so as not to neglect the very place you are living and raising a family.

Over the years, I've been able to outsource some of this to the kids. For example, in their teen years, Aaron and Jada have at times owed me money and worked off that debt by taking on various things around the house that I would've otherwise had to do myself.

Ah, but presently they are both far from home for months on end. And one day, they (and, several years later, even Asher) will be out of the nest for good. And Amy and I remain, and we're now longer in our mid-twenties. So not only do meaningful chunks of time each weekend need to go into house maintenance, but I add to that time allocation by making sure I stretch before and after, especially my creaky back if I have to do things like hold the vacuum nozzle in weird places or hoist a broom up the stairs and onto the 2nd floor porch roof. 

I am lucky to have a roof over my head, luckier still that I own it. And, the aches and pains of middle age are also something to be thankful for, that I've gotten this far in life. This old house and this old guy are indeed getting older together, and while I wish for easier weekends I am thankful for the ones I do have.

Celebrating the Brotherhood of Fatherhood

 

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Isn't fatherhood truly the best? Through all the hard work, heartache, and so many bills (why are kids so expensive?), there's nothing more rewarding or fulfilling.

A big bonus is being part of a great brotherhood of dads, with whom we can share joys and sorrows, laughter and tears. I am grateful for the older men in my life who have been through all the stages of their kids' lives and who I can seek out for counsel and sympathy. I am grateful for dads my age as we do this big part of our lives together in lockstep. And I am grateful for younger dads in my life who bring me back to the unique experience that is parenting really tiny kids (without my having to endure the sleepless nights that go with it).

Happy Father's Day to you all!

Pre-Teen Asher

 

 

Parenting Asher has kept Amy and me, now in our 50s, on our toes. COVID, neuro-divergence, and behavioral issues have made every stage of life and just about every day a bit of an adventure with a lot of noise and not a lot of serenity.

And now we usher in a particularly tumultuous phase of any kid's life, which is the pre-teen years. Which for Asher has meant the typical behavior of one growing from being a kid to being a young adult with all the hormones and social complexity that comes with it.

By choice and by necessity, our parenting style has tended to be more hands-off. Helicoptering or snowplowing, or whatever you want to call it nowadays, is certainly understandable: we care for our kids and we want to do right by them. But oftentimes, doing right by your kids means letting them struggle a little on their own, and that is certainly the case the older they get.

And so for Asher that has mean giving him freedoms he didn't have but one year ago, to go out with friends without our supervision, for example. But it doesn't mean total and unadulterated license to do whatever he wants. Which is where that famous pre-teen rage comes in. 

Even though he's our third child, I still have to remind myself to hold my tongue when he lashes out at us for never giving him any latitude, since the accusation seems so untrue given just how much leeway we have allowed him. I need to remember that this too is part of normal child development at this age, always pushing and stretching and testing.

We will certainly set hard boundaries when appropriate. You don't let your three-year-old near a hot stove, just like you do need to override your 11-year-old's desires to stay up too late or eat like crap or shirk homework/chores or talk disrespectfully. So when Asher pushes, we sometimes need to push back; when he desires to roam free, we need to hold the line.

Fighting all the time is tiring for Amy and me, and we're not as young as we were when Jada and Aaron were going through this. But fight we must, remembering that this too is normal and this too will pass, and ever negotiating (amongst ourselves and with him) when to bend and when to not break.

Shout Out to All the Dads Who Make Dadding Look Easy When It's Actually Hard

 

 

Since as long as they can remember, my kids have sat in the back seat while I drive them somewhere. We're weaving in and out of various conversation topics while eating snacks and singing along to whatever's on the radio like it's no thing. So naturally, now that the older kids drive, they've assumed driving is the easiest thing in the world...until they each gotten into crashes almost immediately after they got their licenses.

The previous paragraph is not about driving.

My older kids do have their licenses, but they have literally not gotten behind the wheel since, so thankfully no crashes. Maybe they never will ever drive in their lives? Between making life choices to live in big cities or driverless technology becomes mainstream. At any rate, the beginning of this post is not meant to introduce a long discourse about cars.

But, let me say one more thing about driving, which is that, like all other activities we learn, over time the brain forms connections in our head, such that a very complex set of tasks can be done over and over again without exertion. Riding a bicycle, hitting a golf ball, tying a tie: these too are things we can do without thinking, because once the body-brain connection has been made, we no longer need to think, we can just do.

And think about just how complex the act of driving is. I mean, you are driving a two-ton steel box at 75+ miles per hour, surrounded by other steel boxes of various sizes weaving in and out, some controlled by people distracted by their phone or fumbling for a french fry or tired from a long work shift. Sometimes the road is slick from rain, the sun is in your eyes, or somebody lost a cardboard box up ahead of you. Every time we hit the road, we are putting life and limb on the line, given the thousands of variables we must navigate in order to navigate our way from Point A to Point B. 

I recall when I was trying to teach our older kids to drive, one of the lessons involved me narrating everything I was thinking while I was driving. They were overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of commentary coming out of my mouth while I was doing something that from their perspective seemed effortless. Turns out Dad wasn't just cruising down the highway, he was also monitoring speed, fuel levels, and turns and bumps in the road. As well as the ever-changing characteristics of all the cars around us: which were close and where they were in relation to us, which were going faster or slower, who looked potentially shaky and needed to be monitored, and so on.

So, finally, several paragraphs in, let me get to the point of today's post, which is to wish an early Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there who make dadding look easy when it's actually hard. (I'm posting this now because I'll be out of town for the next 11 days.)

And, make no mistake: dadding is hard. Whether you are a single dad, divorcee, stay-at-home dad, or husband to a working wife, or dad who is the sole breadwinner of your family, being a dad carries a set of responsibilities and expectations that is similarly complex like driving is. On the road of life, conditions are not always ideal, those around you threaten to swerve or crash into you, and you're not always at your sharpest. Your "vehicle" gets some miles on it and starts falling apart at the worst time, who you're chauffeuring and where you're taking them is ever shifting, and should you safely get everyone from Point A to Point B there's no tip at the end and usually no acknowledgement of gratitude and admiration for accomplishing it. Sounds like driving! But dadding is harder, because it involves even more variables and greater variation and higher stakes. And yet dads must bear the weight of society's expectations and family's needs, and make it happen day in and day out, season after season, life phase after life phase.

Like driving, dadding can look easy from the back seat. I assure you, it is not. And so I tip my hat to my fellow dads every day but especially today in anticipation of Father's Day. I see the diligence by which you carry the heavy burden of fatherhood, and the muscle memory you've built up over time to be able to do it with grace and ease. Happy Father's Day to you!

Travel Log: Point Pleasant Beach NJ, May 2026 + Jim Thorpe PA, May 2026 + Ocean City NJ, June 2026

 

Destination: Point Pleasant Beach NJ 

Date: May 10, 2026

Party: 3 (Lee, Amy, Asher)

Itinerary:

Drive to book store in Manasquan

Drive to Jenkinson's Boardwalk for food, arcade, and obstacle course

Spending:

Transportation $126

Accommodations $0 (day trip)

Food $14

Entertainment $39

Total $179

 

 

Destination: Jim Thorpe PA

Date: May 26, 2026

Party: 1

Itinerary:

Drive to Hideaway Hills for golf

Shop at Country Junction

Hike at Lehigh Gorge State Park

Walk downtown Jim Thorpe

Take Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway

Spending:

Transportation $138 + tolls

Accommodations $0 (day trip)

Food $0

Entertainment $80

Total $218 + tolls

Destination: Ocean City NJ

Date: June 2, 2026

Party: 1

 

Itinerary:

Drive to and bike on Atlantic County Bikeway

Golf at Green Tree Golf Course

Lunch at Umi Buffet

Hike at Corson's Inlet State Park and Crook Horn Nature Trail

Visit Ocean City Historical Museum

Buy sticky buns at Mallon's

Bike/walk Ocean City downtown and boardwalk

Spending:

Transportation $109 + tolls

Accommodations $0 (day trip)

Food $44

Entertainment $32

Total $185 + tolls

 

Travel Log: Hershey PA, May 2026

 

 

Destination: Hershey PA

Date: May 23-25, 2026

Party: 2 (Lee, Asher)

Itinerary:

Day 1 

Visit Spring Valley Y

Eat at Manor Buffet

Visit Bird in Hand Farmer's Market

Check into Red Carpet Inn

Day 2 

Strasburg Rail Road

Visit Lampeter-Strasburg YMCA

Go to Turkey Hill Experience

Check into Mainstay Suites Grantville Hershey North

Go to Sheetz for dinner

Day 3

Go to Chocolate World for Build Your Own Candy Bar

Drive home

Spending:

Transportation $170 + tolls

Accommodations $169

Food $138

Entertainment $177

Total $654 + tolls

Gotcha Aaron

 

 

June 9 is the day we celebrate Aaron's "Gotcha Day," because it is the day he arrived in Philadelphia and was brought to the family home, completing a long journey from Taiwan via California in which he was accompanied by my parents, and then by Amy and her mom. Aaron is growing into a fine young man with good character and a full life. We continue to journey with him and give thanks for his coming into our lives. Happy Gotcha Day, Aaron!

The Regulars

 

In the age-old debate between trying lots of different things and sticking with what you know, I am usually squarely in the former camp rather than the latter. Sure, I have my go-to's, whether it is a running shoe brand I'm comfortable or the fact that I like going to our cherished vacation places in Florida every year. But, if given the choice of going back to something I've experienced before or intentionally avoiding that in order to branch out, almost always I'll choose to break new ground.

Indeed, during COVID, it felt important to break free from our usual takeout haunts and sample the vast diversity of food offerings in our neighborhood. So, we upped our frequency from once a month to once a week, and we vowed to not repeat places for as long as we could find a new spot. I lost track around 70 to 80, that's how many options we have within a 15-minute walk of our home. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the diversity of our community and support local businesses in the process.

But, I do understand the allure of having a go-to spot. For some, it's a matter of sticking with what works for you rather than risking a bad experience. But for me, it's a matter of approaching that wonderful existence known as being a "regular." 

Growing up, "Cheers" popularized the ditty, "where everybody knows your name." But, even better than being greeted on a first-name basis (and, in fact, many places where regulars go, no one knows anyone's names, even if everyone knows everyone) is the sense that you are recognized, appreciated, and treated with honor.

I can't say we're approaching that yet with a couple of local haunts, but it is nice to go back with some frequency to the Mexican restaurant on our block and the Arab-run smoothie shop up the street. It helps these places offer delicious things at affordable prices. But way more valuable to me is the sense that I am in a familiar and welcoming place, and that I have a real relationship with the workers and owners. 

I still like trying new things. But I also value what comes with being a "regular." It's a good feeling to want to keep coming back to over and over again.

What Am I Good At

 

 

I am appreciative of all the positivity that people have sent my way in the midst of my job search. It feels great that so many of my colleagues are willing to be so kind with their encouragements, to say nothing of practical advice and business connections that have been so generously offered.

It occurs to me that, if I am asking folks to keep me in mind for opportunities that might suit me, I should be more specific about what that might mean. I will reiterate that I am keeping an open mind about what my next career move might be. But whatever that is is not unlimited, but rather is constrained by what I bring to the table. 

For if there's anything that's non-negotiable about what I want to do next, it's that I have to be able to do it well, drawing from what I'm good at, and adding value and having impact in the process. So it makes sense for me to say more about what I'm good at, enjoy, and want to do more of. So here's a running list for your reference:

1. "Economic development" is probably the most inclusive phrase to describe where my career has tended to focus. Which I'll broadly define as contributing to the economic competitiveness of a place, being mindful of the need to be thoughtful and inclusive in order to do so. And which for me has generally meant a respect for both free market forces and the necessary role of the public, not-for-profit, and institutional sectors. Which in turn requires a respect for and connection to lots of different parts of a region and an understanding of how they can work well together, which my work experiences have afforded me.

2. I know how to run a professional services firm, in all that entails, which I think of in three buckets. One is operating a company, which is big-picture things like creating an organizational culture (and staffing and training towards that) as well as day-to-day matters like making payroll and dealing with HR issues. Two is bringing in the work, which some people call "business development" and which I consider to be a matter of reputation, networking, and closing the deal. Three is doing the work itself, which in the case of my most recent job was about economic analysis but which I'll define more broadly as identifying the problem to be solved, figuring out how to solve it, and then executing that solution in a way that makes the customer happy.

3. I have had varied work experiences that give me a well-rounded understanding of the primacy of leadership and the practice of leadership. Executive positions at both my jobs plus numerous fiduciary board roles represent a body of knowledge from which to address topics that are critical to the health of an entity and a region but that are often neglected because they are difficult and uncomfortable, things like ensuring proper governance and having a succession plan and making unpopular but necessary decisions.

4. I think I am a good friend, confidante, and advocate. This is something I work hard at and do with intention. Being a good listener, sharing vulnerably to give others permission to do the same, being a cheerleader, giving good advice, following through, and going to bat for others: these are personally impactful actions that I take pleasure doing to bless others and that I hope people recognize I do with authenticity and zeal.

If these traits resonate with an opportunity you are aware of, let me know! I welcome the exploration, if not for gainful employment then to better understand some other aspect of this wonderful region we call home. Thank you for your consideration.

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!