personal — 🌐 Justin's Blog

Traveling to Family

March 25, 2022

After the holidays, Lorena and I were pretty wiped-out from the travel. We hopped between five different places in just a few weeks, and the added stress of the COVID spike drained us mentally. When we got back to Austin in January, we were content to stay in one place for a while.

Earlier in March we took a short trip to California to look at some homes for sale. That trip was nice for a variety of reasons, but I didn’t sleep too well. Our AirBNB had paper thin walls and floors, and every night the person living below us snored so loud that I had to sleep on the couch in the living room.

So aside from that small trip, we have been in our routine in Austin, and at this point we feel ready to travel again to see family.

The realities of living far away from family.

When we feel the desire to go see family, Lorena and I try to plan our trips so that we can see several people in one go. This often means that we are on the road for extended lengths of time, which in of itself is not so bad, but does often lead to the burnout that we experienced at the end of 2021.

But this is the reality of living far away from family. Instead of short trips, we do extended visits in “batches” numerous times a year.

For this trip, we are headed to Connecticut, Michigan, and Ohio. We then have a short break in Texas before heading to California followed by Mexico.

This family circuit will bring us to early summer, at which point Lorena and I will probably take a moment to catch our breath in Austin before plotting out our next travels. Which, if I’m honest, will be pretty quick since the summers in Texas are absolutely brutal.

#personal

California Sunshine

February 26, 2022

It’s a few months into 2022, and we have booked our first trip!

Instead of one of our planned travel destinations, Lorena and I have decided to head out to SoCal for a last minute mini-getaway. This came about rather suddenly, which made it exciting to plan in just a few hours time.

This is the result of both of us were feeling like we needed a little break from the everyday routine and location. The recent weather in Texas hasn’t been doing us any favors either as it has been gray, rain, and chilly for the entire week.

So, to cure us of these blues, we’ll be heading to southern California for a little sun and a change of pace. We’ll be looking at a little real estate while there as well – because, why not? We won’t be in Texas forever, so we are keeping an eye out for inspiration.

We booked our Airbnb in Orange County and will be exploring the beach towns that it has to offer. And I must admit, I am looking forward to hearing, seeing, and smelling the ocean!

#personal

Thoughts on Travel

January 29, 2022

Unquestionably, last year was a very full year for us, full of major life events that we will always remember. We also spent about a third of the year (perhaps more) away from home.

The travel was fun, but also exhausting – especially over the holidays, in large part due to the multiple COVID scares that Lorena and I had.

I like to travel. I wouldn’t say that I love it like some folks do, but overall, I like to experience new places. In the past year, our numerous trips to Mexico have been a highlight. The country is incredible, and I feel like I am barely scratching the surface. There are many other places in the country that I want to visit, such as Guadalajara and Oaxaca.

Lorena and I also talk about taking an extended trip in Europe. The challenge with overseas trips is to not do too many things. We haven’t discussed it in great length quite yet, but I think a likely visit could include Portugal and Italy.

Lorena and I have yet to take a “typical” vacation.

I hate talking about COVID because it’s all the world seems to talk about today. But, it’s the reality of the world, and its impacts are far-reaching. Most noticeably for me is how it has impacted expectations and feelings around travel.

In both 2020 and 2021, our travel was mostly for visiting family. Sure, we would add some other mini-trips (like when we went to San Miguel de Allende for Lorena’s birthday), but the primary reason for traveling was to see family. I very much appreciated this time in Mexico and Michigan, but both of us are feeling the desire to take a trip for us. The “old” way of vacationing.

Thing is, I don’t think either of us are comfortable enough with the entire COVID situation to fully enjoy a vacation, and therein lies the issue of it all. At what point do we become okay with COVID that we can plan a trip and not be worried throughout it is a question to which we currently don’t have an answer.

Travel plans this year will be similar to last year.

Like the end of 2020 and all of 2021, this year’s travel will most likely revolve around planned family gatherings. Last year we did get a chance to visit Lake Tahoe as we were thinking about potentially buying a house there. We want to visit Salt Lake City for a similar purpose, but beyond that, we don’t have any hard-set travel ideas.

So for now, it looks like we’ll make some rounds to Mexico, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, and Chicago to meet up with family, and it is likely we’ll throw in a few days of personal time during those trips.

I do feel incredibly fortunate to be in a situation where we can travel in the first place. Lorena and I will continue to get whatever booster they make available so that we're able to maintain some level of confidence until the picture is a bit more clear around COVID and what to expect in the years ahead.

#personal

This Year's Spanish Goal

January 11, 2022

The new year has started and with it, I have a few goals in mind, one of which being my desire to progress to a more advanced level of Spanish.

Last year I spent most of my time in informal conversations. I just didn’t have the energy to study formally with my teacher, so we would spend our hour-long Zoom calls just chatting.

In addition, Lorena and I spent six weeks in Mexico, and I felt like that helped to improve my comfort in conversations. I had my good days and bad days. It can be incredibly frustrating trying to learn a language in a world where everyone wears a mask.

Now that we have returned from yet another extended stay in Mexico, I feel like I am trapped at my current language level. If I am honest with myself, I would say that my comprehension and speaking abilities are at a B2. Not an advanced B2 by any means. There are days when I would say that I am B1, especially if I am tired.

My goal is to be advanced B2 (or low C1) by the end of 2022.

My first year of learning Spanish was 2020. I didn’t know any, and by the end of the year I was at a pretty good A2 level. It wasn’t easy getting there, but my gains were very noticeable as I was starting from nothing.

During that time, I had three to four classes per week with my tutor. We went through the structured workbook during our time together, and outside my lessons I would read, study vocabulary, and try to watch shows in Spanish (with subtitles).

2021 was the year of conversations, as I mentioned.

Which brings me to this year. I have a strong desire to progress to that next level, and I know that I need to follow a similar strategy as 2020 to achieve it. This means I need my lessons with my tutor to be more structured again so that I can learn the more advanced grammatical structures and vocabulary.

I am up for the challenge. My primary motivation is to better communicate with Lorena and her family in their native language. I also want to better understand Mexican culture, and the best way to do that is through language.

No sense in waiting, either, as my lessons start up again this week.

#personal

Goals for 2022

December 27, 2021

I am not one to make hard-set resolutions, but I do think about the upcoming year and I have some goals in mind:

Help Lorena launch additional offerings at LoreFit.
End the year at a very solid B2 CEFR level in Spanish.
Start a podcast, and keep it going for the year.
Go on more personal trips, COVID permitting.
Get an idea of where we want to live (not Texas).
Continue to write (somewhat) consistently on this blog.
Visit close friends.
Show more gratitude, laugh easily, and love deeply.

I’m sure over time I could add more to this list. For the moment, this is what is on my mind heading into 2022.

Have a safe and happy new year!

#personal

A Banner Year

December 13, 2021

It is the end of the year, and while I am quite busy with family events during the holiday, I am also keenly aware of the impact 2021 will forever have in my life.

The coming year will have milestones as well, but there was something special about this year that will be hard to beat. Things like:

Getting married
Selling my business
Visiting (and shopping for a home) in Lake Tahoe
Progressing in Spanish
Traveling to Mexico
Getting vaccinated

And so much more – such as having the opportunity to travel to Dallas, Vegas, Denver, Michigan, and Connecticut with Lorena.

Of course, this year has also had its hardships. Most notably, I lost my grandmother. That has been tough, and I find myself thinking about her daily. In a way, her passing has reminded me of how precious life actually is, and to not take anything, or anyone, for granted.

For now, we are ending the year in the same way that it started: busy and with family! We will be in Chicago, Michigan, Cancun, and Mexico City over the coming weeks.

After which, we come back to Austin – but only for a short period of time, as Lorena and I will be looking to make somewhere else our home in 2022.

Merry Christmas, and see you in the new year!

#personal

Giving Thanks

November 18, 2021

Normally posts like this come at Thanksgiving, but truth is I’ll be too busy to write something by then, so I’m posting a week early. 😅

I have a lot to be thankful for this year, no doubt. Though that could be said for every year that I am alive and in good health. That said, three events that come to mind:

The older I get, the more I realize how lucky I truly am. I’m married to in incredible woman, I am part of a loving and supportive family, I have professional success beyond what I realized ever possible, and I have my mental & physical health.

This year, Lorena and I are going to Michigan to celebrate Thanksgiving. My brother and his family recently moved back to the U.S. from Germany, so it is the first time we all are together celebrating the holiday together (yet another thing to be grateful for)!

We will be relaxing, going to a hockey game (go Wings!) and heading to Ohio to visit my grandpa. Afterwards, we fly from Detroit to Mexico City for a quick trip to celebrate Lorena’s younger sister graduating from university.

Heading back to Austin, we will catch our breath briefly before doing the rounds again for Christmas and the new year!

#personal

Here Comes Connecticut

November 9, 2021

Lorena and I are off to Connecticut again to visit family. The trip is quick to celebrate a couple of birthdays, but it’s means a little more than that to me.

A year ago, visiting Connecticut was the first trip Lorena and I took together, and it was the first time I met her family.

Fast-forward to today, and so much has happened. We were engaged, moved to Austin, Lorena left her corporate job, we got married, traveled some more, I sold LearnDash, and now Lorena’s fitness business is starting to gain momentum. We are only just starting our lives together, and we have created some incredible memories already.

It’s always easy (and fun) to look ahead and what is to come, but I have always been someone who looks back at the path traveled. We lived a lot of great life this year, although it wasn’t without a little heartache.

One year later and life is so much different. I am not meeting strangers for the first time, I am part of the family, and it feels good.

#personal

Scenes from Tahoe

October 17, 2021

Lorena and I completed a trip to Lake Tahoe (and Reno, NV). It was two purposed: to relax, and to see if we might be interested in moving there in the near future, as life in Texas is not really for us.

The short of it is that we think we could see ourselves in Reno. It’s an interesting area with a lot of outdoor activity. Austin has a better city, but the surrounding area and weather make Reno tempting.

No decisions being made just yet. We want to visit some more places first before we make the decision to pack-up.

Until then, here are a few glimpses of the scenery around Tahoe. It’s absolutely stunning. If you haven’t gone, grab an Airbnb. It’s worth it.

#personal

Finding a Cause

October 6, 2021

For a number of years now, I have had an urge to take contribute to a non-profit cause. The problem is, I can never land on where to dedicate time and money.

Growing up, I used to help the less fortunate through my church. There is a part of me that feels like perhaps this is the “easiest” way to get back involved with making a positive impact in the lives of others. But in my typical fashion, I like to really overthink things. Who wants easy, anyhow?

I have been afforded many opportunities in my life, and I want to give back. I simply do not know where.

With kids?

With adults?

With entrepreneurs?

I’d like to make some meaningful impact, somewhere. At this point, though, I am spinning my wheels on the matter.

#personal