To give a bit of perspective...I'm a math guy who handicaps most every decision in my daily life (a habit that's been hard to break). So when it came to going on a vacation with my beautiful wife and energetic son, I was very excited to get-on-board!
Allow me to introduce our vacation destination...Costa Rica. A beautiful country consisting of dense jungle, beaches, cloud forests....and, uh, deadly snakes (vipers to be exact), ticks, spiders...and did I mention the vipers? I was about to learn a lesson of expectations vs reality......again...
So here's where the EXPECTATIONAL math rushed in my head.....
vacation + family + stress-free place = Awesome!
This is the REALITY that hit me....
vacation + family + jungle with poisonous vipers = super anxiety!
It took a number of days to adjust my expectations to go back to the Awesome! equation and calm way of thinking. Canyon helped me and it happened...eventually. Traveling with a toddler in a jungle where a territorial Fer-De-Lance or ticks can impact their health and well-being...an over-protective new Dad (have I introduced myself?) really needs to re-adjust expectations vs reality and work through it.
So my lesson on our family vacation...as is an important reminder for life...is to stay close with your family, monitor your expectations vs reality, take deep breaths to calm down.....put the toddler in the pack-n-play...and then go take a swim in the pool...(in the jungle).
Jason, I love this - hilariously, it reads in your voice exactly. A true test of good writing, I think! You and Zach share a heightened awareness of the Fer-de-Lance in all situations...BE PREPARED. xoxo
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