Your Survival Guy’s Disney Trip Part II/Heart Strings/College…YOU

OK, here’s what’s on Your Survival Guy’s mind this morning, one week after returning from the happiest place on earth (You can read about our Disney trip here).

• The last time we were at Disney was ten years ago. There’s a picture in our house of Izzy and Owen standing in front of the entrance of the Magic Kingdom with all the flowers and the train station in the background. Every time I walk by that picture, I remember that day like it was yesterday.
• While we were getting ready for this trip, Izzy, soon to be twenty, said to Becky and me, “I don’t need you two falling apart crying walking into the Magic Kingdom.” So, when we were there, and my life flashed before my eyes, I had to steel myself and walk in with a stiff upper lip. Who’s the child now?
• Owen is caddying this summer. After a recent five-hour round, we asked how many steps he took. Pulling out his phone, he said just over 19,000. “That’s about a day at Disney,” Becky said.
• School’s out for summer, but fall’s right around the corner. The “most wonderful time of year” whistles the dad in the Staples commercial. If you have a child going to college, then you know many schools are requiring a vaccine. As an aside, our son’s high school was open during Covid, which was huge. Moving forward, how schools handled Covid will be a big part of the decision process.
• On my desk, in front of me as I write to you, is The Princeton Review: The Best 384 Colleges with all the thumbnail facts you could ever want. In the future, will we see the following line items?
  • Vaccine required: Yes/No
  • SATs: Yes/No
  • Covid 19: 50% Remote/50% on Campus
  • Covid 20:
  • Covid 21:
• Your retirement life is a special time. In my conversations with you, I’ve learned you don’t know exactly when you’re going to retire, but you can almost point to the day and time when you decided you had enough. That’s just the way it works. You know when it’s time.
• Your family is your most cherished asset. Spending time with them, with remote work, will be a lot easier in the future as you can pick cool destinations to be together for extended periods of time. I like this trend.
• Under the heading of “different shades of blue.” Keep in mind, blue states turn a lighter shade of blue the farther you get from the cities. Take Rhode Island, for example. Dark blue in Providence and in coastal cities but go to Exeter, for example, and it’s like a new frontier of freedom.
• Under the heading of GREED: Are SPACs the tech bubble redo? Stay tuned.
• Under the heading of FEAR: I’m not hearing it in your voices. Time to rebalance/reduce your stocks?
• Under the heading of Control? Who benefits the most from vaccine mandates for kids?

Read Part I here.

Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.