Big reunion coming up

Life is what happens when you're making other plans (thank God!). Also, 7 other things worth knowing today.

Sure, this might have been nice, too. But, I’m happier where life actually took me.

Ten years ago, I had plans. They went like this:

1. Leave Washington DC behind and become a digital nomad for a while (before that was really a big trendy thing).

2. Buy a small condo on the beach in Florida, so I’d have someplace to return to. Plus, I wanted to establish residency in a no-income-tax state; for what I’d been paying in DC taxes, I realized I could nearly cover the mortgage.

So, I put it all in motion. I landed some great freelance clients so I could work from anywhere. I talked with a former coworker about renting her vacant apartment near Barcelona as a first stop. And, I flew to TPA airport, where a real estate agent picked me up and gave me a two-day tour of the Gulf coast.

Then, I high-tailed it up to New England, where my friend and accountant Griff (last seen in this newsletter sending me a Bible to get me to turn in my tax info on time) picked me up to drive together to our 20-year college reunion.

And then: Well, I've written about this before. Zowie! Hubba hubba! Lightning bolt!

Life is what happens when you're making other plans.

I reunited unexpectedly at the reunion with my college girlfriend, with whom I had hardly spoken in more than a decade. Less than a year later, we were married.

We have a daughter now, and we just celebrated our 9th anniversary.

Now would it have been nice to be a nomad first? (Meh.) Or to have bought Florida real estate that would have appreciated 300x in 10 years? (OK, maybe.)

But, of course, I would not trade any part of this story for anything. So, the moral is: Go to your reunions!

It’s apt because 10 years after the story above, we now have our 30th reunion. (This number seems insane to me, but whatevs.) Of course, we’re going.

Obviously it would be impossible to beat our story from 2012.

But, I've been to so many of these over the years ... college, high school, work reunions, military ... and I think I've had great experiences and made or rekindled at least one good relationship every time.

So, for a Friday open comment thread, I'd like to ask you:

• What's your best story about going to a reunion?

• What's your best story about life throwing you a curveball, but things turning out much better than you'd planned?

• And, last but not least, who has the best "Aww man, I should have bought that real estate!" story?

Let us (and your fellow readers) know in the comments. And have a great weekend. Thanks for reading and being part of this community.

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7 other things worth knowing today

(I’m still figuring out the “disappearing 7 other things” issue. As a not-super-satisfying workaround, the newsletters are simultaneously published as the lead story on Understandably.com every day, so if you click through there you can see it. If I’ve done this correctly, this link should take you there.)

• The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol had its first televised hearings last night, calling the assault an “attempted coup” and a direct result of the defeated president’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. You can read more here; hearings resume Monday morning. (AP)

• The PGA Tour indefinitely suspended 17 members and former members who agreed to participate in the inaugural LIV Golf event, which is financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. On the list are a number of top golfers, including Phil Mickelson. (ESPN)

• A Republican candidate for governor in Michigan was arrested by the FBI on Thursday and charged with misdemeanors for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, the agency said. Federal agents raided Ryan Kelley's home in Allendale, Michigan. (NBC News)

• Two citizens of Britain and one from Morocco who were captured while fighting for Ukraine have been sentenced to death by firing squad by the unrecognized “Donetsk People’s Republic." It's not really clear if this is a true court verdict that people would expect to be carried out, or more of an attempt to use the three as bargaining chips. (BBC)

• Median U.S. monthly rent surpassed $2,000 for the first time last month, rising 15% year over year to a record high of $2,002. “More people are opting to live alone, and rising mortgage-interest rates are forcing would-be homebuyers to keep renting,” said a Redfin economist. (Redfin)

• Really long (but I found it interesting) story about the movie All the President's Men, as we approach the 50th anniversary of Watergate. (WashPost)

• I Parented Like A French Dad And My Kids Started Listening To Me. (However: "I did not like this version of myself very much. Still, it was nice to feel the balance of power swing my way.") (Fatherly)

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