May 2025: Summer: The Season for TravelOnce a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama

What a month! I turned 40 and my wife and I finally made our way over to Europe together, leaving our son Spears at home for the first time since he was born a year ago. We’ve wanted to visit Paris & London since we met and checking this one off the bucket list was a big deal for us.

Every January, we map out trips that we want to take for the year and worry about the rest later. This one was non-stop excitement and we were so thankful to have been able to go. Once there, you realize how important and needed it was to get away, see new places, and experience other cultures. Basically, stepping back in time to when we were young and life was much more carefree. Visiting these cities that I’ve only dreamt about, I found that they were close to what I imagined but there’s just nothing like the real thing.

Strike While the Iron’s Hot

“I love the feeling of being anonymous in a city I’ve never been before.”

– Bill Bryson

The best part of a trip is getting home and embracing newfound perspective. Its day 2 back for me and I’m currently carefree, no regrets, and able to tap back into to my travel space that I basked in all last week. There’s a good chance that my newfound Zen will only be a shell next week but for now, it’s still present and fresh. There’s something about sitting in a café, listening to everyone around you speaking French, and being anonymous. Embracing the European pace, which is that nobody seems to be in a hurry and Americans are always on the go. It’s hard to sit still and over there when you’re at a restaurant, you’re left with no other choice. The food, the wine, it was all spectacular. I can’t get over the freshness and how the beers have continuous carbonation flowing to the top for the entire duration. Cultured!

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert

What Next?

“Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.”

 – Matthew Karsten

After hitting such a high bar, it’s nice to be home with the open summer ahead. Less extravagant, simpler trips, and quality time with friends and family. Plotting the next big adventure and enjoying the calm before we welcome our second baby in September. Wishing you all a wonderful summer and as always, thanks for following along!