I Have a Book Coming Out!

I’m super happy to finally be able to announce that I have a cool new book coming out, Card Games for One or Two: 52 Games to Know and Play. It will be released on April 19th and pre-orders are open now.

Here’s more details from the landing page for the book:

In today’s high-tech world, sitting down with a deck of cards is a simple pleasure. With an engaging collection of beloved classics, this book is filled with 52 card games made for one or two players. 

What sets this card game book apart:

• Card games 101—Become a savvy player in no time with a rundown of everything from common card lingo to tips for winning strategies.

• Smart organization—This compendium is divided into solo and two-player games and organized by game type (capturing, trick-taking, etc.) so you can quickly find something that suits your mood.

• Clear instructions—Master the mechanics of any game and jump into play right away with help from simple directions and illustrations that are easy to follow.

I have been working on this book for a few months now and it is a big milestone for me to be able to have a hard copy of a book I’ve written. It’s been great working with my publisher and I greatly benefited from the structure they’ve given me.

I hope you’ll all check it out and let me know what you think!

Reflections on Buying Our First House

As my wife, our daughter, and our dog all settle into our new house, I figured it was a good time to reflect on the experience now that we’ve been here for a month.

This process began in earnest after the Thanksgiving holiday last year, still deep in the throws of quarantining with no end in sight. We knew we wanted to move to be closer to family and friends and we were having bad luck finding apartments that felt right or even getting responses from people. We’d gotten a short extension on our lease until the end of March 2021 and figured it might be time to make an adjustment toward buying a house since my wife knew a realtor in the area.

Once we did some budget calculations, we realized this would be doable and starting setting up house tours (masked and distanced). Overall, we saw over two dozen houses and had a handful of our offers be rejected. It was a very exhausting experience but we eventually found a place we really liked that needed a little bit of work but had everything we needed in a great location.

April was the first full month in the house and we started unpacking and getting things setup. We also were taking an inventory of the work we needed and wanted to do on the house to make it our own and make sure that everything was well maintained. This process made it clear we needed to continue to keep a clear budget of the increasing costs of these renovations, figure out what we can do ourselves, and plan to save a set amount each month to cover everything.

This has been a hard month of transitions after an already hard year, but we’re all excited to have more space and a home to call our own.

Thoughts on Time & Space

As I come back to the world after winter break and a bit of hiatus with the podcast and the blog, I was reflecting on the clarity I feel like I had during this time. I didn’t have to do anything other than work and take care of the apartment, spend time with my wife and our friends, and hang out with our dog. It was great.

This down time was precipitated by my new job I got in August. It is a remote job and encourages working flexibly. We have team members and constituents all over the country, so it makes sense to sometimes plug in a little later if you’re on the East Coast to collaborate with West Coast folks. Also, we have to travel a bit for different things, so if you need to catch up on work at odd hours, it’s totally okay. There is also a unlimited PTO policy so as long as you’re not leaving everyone in the dark to cover for you, you can take any needed time for special occasions or just to unplug during the holidays for example. Lastly, I don’t have to commute any more, which is awesome just for the time saved but also the stress. Since the new job has a lot of moving pieces to learn and the flexibility I was looking for, I winded down some side projects so I could take a bit of a breather.

This is the context for the past few months for me. I feel ready to ease back in to some of these side projects I have now. It was funny that since I had more room in my life for other things, I was more thoughtful about what I filled it with. I had a lot of momentum filling my limited precious time with podcasting, writing, editing other people’s shows, etc. before I got this new job. But now that I was going to be able to be making more money and have more time on my hands, I figured I should step back to rethink my priorities.

There have been a lot of recent articles this past year examining burnout and self-care. They’ve made me think a lot about the things I should be focusing on and how I nurture my own energy. Something I say a lot is that you make time for what you want to make time for. This is how we subconsciously reflect our priorities in the choices we make and the actions we take. This can also be retooled as an intentional way of being. We must make time for the things that are important to us. Otherwise, we’re going to build up internal stress and pressure, and not be our best selves. This manifested for me when it came to playing games. I didn’t make it a priority and I was far more stressed most of time because of it. Now that my life has settled down and I have more space, I’m playing a little bit almost every day.

It’s all about values and how we value our own time. We can work all day and every weekend, but what do we have to show for it? Certainly not much in the short term. Often we’re salaried and not getting overtime. We’re setting unhealthy expectations about our availability that we have to work to undo. We also always have the opportunity cost of not being able to do anything else we could be doing with that time. The relationships with the people around us and our other obligations will suffer. And yes, this includes making time for the gym, going to the doctor, and getting other errands done.

I hope these thoughts on time and space are helpful to you. I wanted to write again and this felt the most salient as both a general update on what I’ve been up to and also what I’ve been thinking a lot about.

Looking Back on on The SAC Podcast

As the premiere of my new podcast approaches, I thought I would look back and reflect on a big part of my life; The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast I co-hosted for about two and half years with Tom Krieglstein and The Student Affairs Collective (SAC).

My last episode was in December 2016, and the show achieved great success during my time. While I shared hosting duties with Tom, I also took care of most of the backend production for the podcast, which taught me a lot. I've since consulted several people helping to get their own shows off the ground.

The decision to leave the show was a hard one, but at the time, I needed to focus my energies else where and really needed a break. It's been months now, and I'm excited to get back in with a show that is mine and will continue in the spirit of its predecessor.

My journey as a content creator in higher ed has been what feels like a long, slow trek but an overall positive one. The consistency of my contributions has gone down, but my writing has vastly improved. I'm still figuring out what feels right, and I think I'm getting there now. I took a break from talking with people, but now feel like I'm starting off from a much stronger place in terms of my conversational skills then when I recorded my first episode of the SAC podcast. I remember feeling so nervous each time, and stumbling through episodes at times. I have now found my voice, and feel more in a rhythm each time I record.

I also now know my worth far more than I did before. I get paid for my writing, and am able to forge partnerships that help myself and my collaborators fairly. I understand my strengths and what I have to offer. I know so much more this time around, that I am really excited to see where everything goes.

I'm thankful for the experience, the connections, and the confidence I gained from doing the SAC podcast. All good things must come to an end, but with that, here's to the next chapter!

What I Learned Planning a Wedding

(This post was co-written with my wonderful wife, Jenn Ramsdell)

Well, I got married a month a go. It feels like longer but after having a month to recover and catch up on the world, I am ready to look back on the lessons learned. It was a whirlwind of planning and preparing from the time we started until the day of. In the end, all the hard work and stress came together into a beautiful ceremony and amazing time with friends and family.

With that being said, as much as we tried to avoid it, it all got to be overwhelming at times with so many details to keep track of, things to buy, and pieces to coordinate. We had a smaller guest list (around 60 people altogether) but we were also planning the event from afar (we had to take trips at least once a month to New Jersey from Maryland, a 3.5 hour drive).

For those who may be planning their own nuptials, or for those who have been there, here is what our experience taught us:

It Can Easily Become Mostly Not About You...

Weddings often illicit a lot of opinions from different friends and family members. It is important to not let your dreams and needs get lost in the weeds. Make sure to stand your ground with your beliefs and values about your special day where you can (For example; don't want to exchange rings? Plenty of other rituals you can do like handfasting), since it can snowball into something you don't recognize and if you're going down a path you don't want to take, it can feel disingenuous and get costly really quick (see point #3). 

Luckily though, our wedding brought many of our friends together in one room, and even though some had never met each other before, everyone had a blast dancing the night away. It was incredible to feel so much love and joy in one room despite anything disputes we had getting to the fun stuff.

The Power of Patience!

Planning a wedding (especially when long-distance planning) requires a lot of moving pieces. We had to coordinate with different vendors, families, friends, work schedules, to get the whole thing together. Jenn and I (but mostly Jenn, bless her) spent many weekends driving back and forth between Maryland and New Jersey to make sure that all the pieces came together. We also were slowly accumulating items for the wedding (we were DIYing hard), so it felt like we were just making small steps toward this bigger thing each day that felt like a lifetime away.

We originally wanted to elope with an even smaller ceremony sooner but we ended up conceded to our families (see point #1) to bring more people together later on. We're glad we were patient with it all since the final product was better than we could have dreamed.

It's Expensive...

There are lots of unexpected expenditures in addition to the standard costs like food, drinks, venue, and the dress. Stuff like gifts for your bridal party, new dress socks, favors, and markers for the guest frame all can sneak up on you or get lost in the shuffle. Thank goodness for helpful friends, family, Amazon, Costco, Michaels coupons and DIY wedding blogs. We were able to focus our budget on things that were important to us. Jenn got a limo, and it turned out to be extremely awesome (crossed that off my "bucket list")! We were also able to save money for our honeymoon in Puerto Rico and also end up breaking even with what we got in gifts and some other money that came in at the nick of time. The whole thing was super cost effective but still a great time, which we were really proud of.

You must set a budget, keep track of everything, and stick to it so you don't let things get out of hand. People will help you out with all this too, you just need to ask.

Have Fun!

Make sure to enjoy the day and have moments with everyone that you can. We're grateful that we were able to spend quality time before and after the big day with family and friends. During the reception, we also were appreciative of the fun we had sharing drinks, dancing, and catching up with everyone who came. The stresses of planning fell away and nothing else mattered.

A wedding can be one of the most stressful times in your life (seriously) with managing everything, but it is also an incredibly unique experience that you need to make sure you soak up so you can have the amazing memories and good vibes to coast off of for a while.

Afterwards, Just Relax

The Honeymoon at the end is awesome. For us, it was a well deserved respite as well as an awesome chance to get out of our comfort zones together. We spent about a week in Puerto Rico, eating good food, laying out on the beach, seeing cool history, and watching the sunset. We loved our time, and imagine going back in a few years for our 5 year anniversary. It was the perfect laid back journey to a new place that we won't soon forget.

Weddings can be stuffed to the brim with emotions, both good and bad. They're a lot to manage but can be an inspiring, magical day filled with loved ones. You just have to make sure to keep the dreaded wedding industrial complex at bay, keep it genuine, relax, and focus on what matters; celebrating your love with your partner.

Hopefully this is helpful to those looking forward to their day, and anyone who has been there, we'd love to hear of your experiences to maybe help normalize ours!

Thanks for stopping by!

Important Announcement Regarding the SAC Podcast

Hello everyone!

Check out this bonus episode of the podcast where I give an update on the future of the show:

https://t.co/XSMlcV4UaR

I don't want to get much into the decision online, so I'm happy to discuss more with anyone interested offline.

Thanks for all of your support!

Reflecting on Six Months at 2U

I recently had my first milestone at my new job; six months on the job in a very different environment still working with students everyday.

It has been a bit of a whirlwind that finally feels like it is settling down. I moved and started this job over the course of a weekend, didn't have a place to live setup, but it was all for the best. I love this company and how it works, the impact we have on students all over the country (and world), the opportunities I am granted, as well as the possibilities of where I could go with this team.

Here are some specific highlights from my time so far:

Every day is a holiday...

Something that has been really great about my experience so far has been that I've been able to have fun and do things I wouldn't be able to elsewhere. We've had several parties for various occasions over the past six months (Employee Appreciation. Impact Report Release, Halloween, to name a few), I went to our company meeting in Orlando, and I've also gotten to go to cool places in DC and will go to NYC next month for our program's student Immersions. I'll have the opportunity to go to other places next year as well as work out of any of our offices across the country if I want to. Just appreciating the awesome things I get to do alongside the work I do everyday for my students has made this time really precious. Our work is hard, but it is important to be mindful and take time to value everything that is given to us. As our CEO says, "Every day is a holiday, every meal is a feast".

A Sense of Urgency

A big change over the past six months has been moving from a campus to a business. We work with students and colleges every day, but our culture and the way we do things is very different. We're a higher ed tech company that moves quick and is always trying to improve. We're in the business of doing right by our students and partners, so that's always a driving force, but we also are trying to grow as an organization. It has been hard at times, but more often than not, I feel like this is the type of vibe I work best in. There is an energy and vibrancy that compels you to do better. I didn't feel that as much at any past institution I've been at, not to say it doesn't exist, but it feels like it is harder at a venerable institution that might be more slow moving.

The Future of Higher Ed

Online education is experiencing a resurgence right now as best practices are solidified and quality is able to scale. We're evolving past MOOCs and simple platforms. We're moving on to replicating what works best from on-campus education, augmenting it with technology, and serving it up to the world. We're bringing amazing institutions to places they've never been and expanding their student base way faster than they ever could on-campus. It's really impressive to behold!

I can talk about 2U all day, so please connect if you want to learn more or apply. We're growing fast and can use all the good people we can get!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Learned From Living in Maine

My time living in my home state of Maine for the first time is coming to an end. I don't know if I will ever live here again, but I will certainly visit often and have appreciated being able to explore this naturally beautiful state. I've learned a few things from being here for two years, and I wanted to reflect on this time here on the blog.

My Appreciation for Craft Beer

Maine has an awesome craft beer scene. There are breweries of all sizes and styles, from Allagash, to Shipyard, Sea Dog, Black Bear, Geaghan's, Baxter's, and my personal favorite, Orono Brewing Company. This community is a fun, passionate one full of unique flavors and artistry in each beer. Going to local breweries helps support small businesses, but it also allows for connections based on a share interest with other people or it's especially great when you can talk with the people who made the beer you're enjoying. I look forward to continuing to support the breweries I love, and discovering new ones in Maryland and wherever else I go to visit.

The Value of Beautiful, Natural Spaces

Most of Maine is covered in trees, that is a fact. The state (which is larger than most people think) is sparsely populated with small towns nestled in these woods, and Maine also has a beautiful coastline. My partner and I especially enjoy the Bar Harbor area which is a popular tourist location that neighbors the very awesome Acadia National Park. There is an abundance of naturally beautiful spaces in Maine, with plenty of great trails to walk and mountains to climb. It is important to preserve areas like this for people to enjoy. It's good for communities in so many different ways (jobs, recreation, and the environment just to name a few major ones) and I look forward to finding spaces to explore in Maryland.

The Importance of Family

My mom and all of my extended family lives in Maine (my brother still lives in Delaware, where both of us grew up) so it has been nice to see my family up here more often than I ever had before. It is really great for me to be able to spend quality time with my mom as our relationship shifts into a new phase with me no longer being a student and "adulting" full-time with my partner. It is a bummer that I will be moving away and not able to spend as much time with everyone, but I know the values that I have developed and the importance I have put on my family will persist into the future. I'll come up to visit as often as I can, and it will be a priority more then it has in the past, when I would go too long between visits. Our families can be frustrating sometimes, but they also (hopefully) love us unconditionally. They will always be supportive and excited for what is happening in our lives, so it is important to make time for them when we can. I look forward to doing my best to continue to cultivate my relationships with my family, especially my brother and mother, since it was just the three of us for a long time and I don't want us to drift apart.

I've appreciated my time in Maine, but I am looking forward to getting my first apartment, living with my fiance, and being close to two big cities as well as our friends. Stay tuned for more thoughts as I go on my next adventure!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 04/29/16

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Final Job Search Update!

As was teased last week and formally announced on social media this week, I have accepted an awesome new job at 2U, which provides services and support to online academic programs for colleges and universities all over the country (and world). I will be a Student Support Adviser starting very soon down in Maryland. I'm very excited for this opportunity as well as for the next step in my life with a great job with a great partner. This also means I will be moving off-campus! Which leads me to my next point...

• Apartment Hunting

My partner, Jenn, and I are searching for an apartment together, which is a first for both of us, so we are definitely getting a little anxious about this process. We have a general budget for rent with my new job but we have never had to pay utilities before so we don't know how much to budget for that. Also, all the places we look at seem nice, but then all the reviews are bad. Which is frustrating because none of the places we look at have good reviews, they just have entirely bad feedback which is hard to believe. It just seems like those are the only people who feel inspired enough to write a review. Obviously this just complicates things further. I know we'll figure it out and it will be okay, but it is just a new, stressful experience that I am learning from. I look forward to more new growth from this and from living in as well as decorating our new place!

• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

On a lighter note, Jenn and I enjoyed watching the new season of this show on Netflix over the weekend. Continuing as a sort of spiritual successor to 30 Rock in the sense that it sense that it shares much of the same humor, this season was a lot of silly fun. The jokes come at a breakneck pace, so even if one doesn't land, there are more coming quickly. I like the smart humor of this show (very much similar to 30 Rock) and how optimistic it is. This is another strong show in the growing library of equally strong and unique shows Netflix has produced (Love, Master of None, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Daredevil, Jessica Jones), not to mention its strong tradition of supporting standup comedy.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekly Geek Outs - 03/11/16

Greetings!

Here is what I am geeking out about this week:

• Major Life Announcement

So many of you may have already heard through social media, but I proposed to my partner, Jenn, during our trip away (more details on that below). She said yes and we are very excited to start our lives together. We've been together for over two and a half years, and as she graduates and we job search together, I felt inspired to let her know how I felt about her and our future. I was really nervous in the moment when I asked her and forgot a lot of the things I wanted to say, but I eventually got out of my head and laid it all out to her. We're so pleased with everyone's joy about our engagement, and it was nice to hear from so many people from our lives congratulating us and wishing us well. Now, onto figuring out wedding plans!

• Spring Break Retrospective

I had a great time over the past few days with my partner taking our road trip around New England. We stopped at Portland, ME, Portsmouth, NH, and Burlington, VT. We ate good food, visited some breweries, saw five new college campuses (University of Vermont was especially cool!), and toured the Ben & Jerry's and Cabot creameries. It was an awesome time together, and I am happy to relax a bit more before work starts back up in full next week.

• New Captain America: Civil War Trailer

A new trailer dropped this week and it was amazing! We got our first glimpse of Spider-Man (I liked it!) and somewhat of how he will figure into the story. We're less than two months away from this movie coming out, and it is looking to be an intense one, with our heroes going full force at each other. I'm expecting more twists and turns to happen in this movie where anything is possible and the future of the MCU is at stake!

Thanks for stopping by!