Reset
Slowing down and finding balance in familiar places
Snowbird: Elderly people who travel to Florida during the winter months. They arrive after Thanksgiving, go home for Christmas and come back the day after New Years and stay until Early April.
Since I was young, I've dreamt of being a snowbird. I envisioned leaving Phoenix not for the winter, but for the scorching summers, returning as the temperatures dip into the 60s F/16 C.
Let me paint a picture of Phoenix's heat for you. This summer was the hottest ever recorded, with 54 days topping 110°F (43.3°C). It’s basically seasonal depression.
Our plan? To escape this inferno each year, returning when the desert cools.
After a seemingly endless journey, Claudia's mom picked us up at 2am. We spent that night in her old childhood bedroom – it wasn’t home, but it was good enough. With our house still booked on Airbnb due to our abrupt return, we spent the next few days living out of suitcases, shuttling between my sister's and my parents' homes.
As we were prepping to finally return to our home, we we left Jameson, our dog, at my sister’s house as Claudia and I ran errands, planning to collect him the next day.
A couple of hours later, my sister's alarming call came through: Jameson's butt had 'exploded' - a ruptured anal gland. Rushing to the vet, we learned the good and bad news: he wasn't going to die, but he was in pain. They gave him some drugs that numbed him for a bit and after an anxious 5-hour wait, we brought our cone-headed boy home.
People respond to stress in various ways. Some find solace in painting, others take a walk or meet friends at a pub. For me, the best stress relief is immersing myself in different activities throughout the day.
Once we knew Jameson was stable, we seized the opportunity to enjoy the last sunny day of the week. We headed to Saguaro Lake with our paddle boards.
Driving through the desert mountains, I found myself captivated by the serene beauty around us. It had been ages since we were in such a tranquil, secluded place. It was just us, surrounded by a peaceful expanse – a rare, undisturbed moment.
Once on our boards, we simply lay there, basking in the sun. The warmth of the rays felt like a cozy blanket enveloping us. I felt lucky, blessed, and fortunate. Just 24 hours earlier, I felt low been weighed down by worry over Jameson's health and missing my friends at DevConnect. Yet, in just one day, life had taken on a wholly different hue.
All I could think was, thank you.
People often say you don't realize what you have until it's gone, and they're right. After experiencing a dozen homes and neighborhoods, I've learned that no place truly has it all. Before our travels, I was never much of a self-starter in the kitchen, opting for simplicity to minimize cleanup. But now, back with a full kitchen at my disposal, it's hard not to dive in and experiment with new recipes.
During our travels, I had bookmarked numerous recipes to try upon returning home. I remember our futile search for pumpkin sauce in Istanbul, all because we wanted to make pumpkin pancakes but couldn't find the ingredients. It's these small comforts and familiarities that you come to appreciate and take advantage of. To satisfy my sweet tooth, this week I made a protein blueberry crumble—a snack the old me would never have bothered to prepare.
I have an older sister, Pam. We’re pretty close. Coming back a week early gave me the chance to celebrate her 34th birthday together.
As an avid cyclist, Pam was intrigued when I told her about a tradition I'd heard from a coworker: riding your age in miles to celebrate your birthday.
So, on her birthday, we woke up at 4am and hit the road by 5. For two and a half hours, we cycled, accompanied by our wives on a Beachman blasting Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
It’s strange to witness your parents aging. For a long time, they seem unchanged, frozen as the youthful figures of your childhood memories. But as time marches on for us, it does for them too. Now, when I see them, I notice more gray hairs, a few more wrinkles. The thought of a future without my parents never really struck me until I returned home and spent time with them.
I have the best parents anyone could ever ask for, but unfortunately for them, they don’t have the best daughter they could ever ask for. I’ve been a bit of a brat. As the younger sibling, I was somewhat emotionally spoiled. Pam, embodying the traditional older sister role, always readily assisted our parents whenever they needed help. I wasn’t always as responsive.
The thing is, I generally did have a lot of things going on. Jobs, school, and other pressing commitments. But being home now, free from those responsibilities, feels like a precious gift. I’m constantly reminding myself of how fortunate I am to spend time with my parents, to share the intricacies of my life with them. After all, they simply want to be a part of it and wish the best for me.
I even invited my mom to the gym, a first for us. I took on the role of her trainer, and we genuinely had a great time together. In addition, I played a racquetball match with my dad. It was incredibly rewarding to just hang out with them, free from the usual rush of having somewhere else to be. For once, I could simply relax and fully appreciate the moments we shared.
Part of me felt like an observer, watching us interact. It was fascinating to see the shared mannerisms between us. Traits from both my mom and dad were mirrored in me. It's an intriguing realization, but also a bit frightening. I couldn't help but notice that some of their quirks, which I find annoying (love you mom and dad), are also habits I've picked up.
The more time I spent with family, the more distant I felt from the relentless 'grind' lifestyle. Life seemed to decelerate, becoming more measured and serene. Scrolling through Twitter, that world started to feel increasingly alien to me. This week has been a valuable opportunity to rebalance and reset, to spend quality time with loved ones and truly appreciate it.
Things have a different resonance now, perhaps because Claudia and I are gearing up for another journey next year. This impending change makes our current moments feel more finite, and as a result, we tend to cherish them even more.
As a child, my idea of being a snowbird was about escape. Now, it's become more about returning - to family, to familiarity, and to those moments that define 'home.'
Q4 11/13 - 11/19
Still adjusting from GMT+3 time, I found myself waking up early on several mornings. True to the spirit of a reset week, I dedicated most of my time to activities like running, biking, working out, paddle boarding, and playing racquetball.
Bloopers
Brand Ambassador
You all know how much I love having fun, but you might also remember that I've cut out alcohol in the past. The reason? It's simply not worth it to feel tired and sluggish the next day. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that Athletic Brewing, my favorite non-alcoholic beer brand, was searching for brand ambassadors.
For an unsolicited audition, I put together this 18-second promo video.
Sweat
Farza might have been onto something when he recommended training as a side hustle. My mom, already familiar with gym workouts, joined me as I guided her through bodyweight exercises, emphasizing balance and mobility.
Sunday Morningz
Few things are as daunting as checking your bank account and crafting a budget after a long trip, especially when your income is limited. But, as with anything, improvement is impossible without knowing your starting point.
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