10/13/2025
Thanks so much to everyone who reached out during my little fall break. I tried to make it a true vacation, and I appreciate your understanding. It's great to be back.
My whole trip was fabulous! Visiting with family was a priority. I got to see my parents and brother, his family, a few of my aunts, and a cousin.
I was also fortunate to connect last-minute with a dear friend from college...on bikes! Patty gathered gear for both of us, and we rode a portion of the Great Allegheny Passage (a rails-to-trails project that connects Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.). She put a lot of thought and effort into what turned into a mystical and magical foggy morning spent on two wheels. I loved every moment.
Then, kindred spirits since fifth grade, Lori and I -- both empty nesters as of August -- visited Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island to nerd out to all the Anne of Green Gables points of interest. It was oh so lovely and felt thrilling to see the places that inspired L.M. Montgomery's masterpieces.
As if that wasn't enough, my daughter was on a business trip in New Brunswick, so we got to meet up with her for a few hours on the opposite side of the continent! I'm still so grateful for that unexpected opportunity because we hadn't seen each other since May. Look how happy Elizabeth and I look. I'm not crying, you're crying! Just kidding. I was totally crying.
That five-day trip to Canada was a beautiful way to reconnect with my best friend for forty years, someone who intensely impacted my past and present, and it was also a meaningful way to begin the transition into a new phase of life for each of us, together.
My unsolicited advice is to take the trip (or silly photo!) or eat the cake or buy the thing. However you want to translate it, you deserve some happiness, some fun, some time for you. As a bonus gift to yourself: lose the guilt over it.
