On Sunday I drove my daughter up to camp for the first time ever. She’s going for a two week stay at sleepover camp, and the house feels so much different without her. Our son is still here, but the house just feels weird. The other thing that’s a new feeling is the idea of sending one of our kids somewhere with people we don’t really know. They’ve gone away with their grandparents before, but those are the people you assume will watch them about as closely as you would. I think having my daughter go to camp has been as much of an exercise in independence for us as it has been for her. For sure it’s a new step in her growing up.
Anyway, the drive was about three hours long…each way. The trip up was fantastic. We talked, had lunch together, just the two of us. It was perfect. I really need to do that more often with each of my kids, some one-on-one time. I don’t think we take enough time as parents to spend a little time with our children and get to know them as people. I know I don’t.
After I dropped her off, the daunting task of driving home, by myself, for another three hours loomed ahead. In my younger days I had once made the drive from Bangor, ME to Philadelphia in a one day, eleven hour straight shot. I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. This drive wasn’t that excessive, but facing another three hours, after the first three, I knew I needed to be prepared. As much of the drive was through poor radio country, I made sure my phone was stocked with podcasts. On the road I decided that it might not be a bad idea to share some of those podcasts with you. I figured it might not be a bad idea to throw in the book I’m currently reading and the show I’m most enjoying watching right now.
Unbuttoned – G. Bruce Boyer’s Life in Clothes
Pedro Mendes’ six-part interview/narrative with G. Bruce Boyer is masterful. Bruce is the godfather of modern menswear writing, and Pedro unpacks his influences and development of personal style through stories from Bruce’s life. This is a must listen for anyone with an interest in men’s style. I would also recommend checking out Pedro’s own site, The Hogtown Rake.
Morning People with Preston Konrad
I’ve been following Preston on social media (Instagram and Twitter) for a while now, but never really knew quite what he did or who he was. His new podcast explores his career as a stylist and influencer in a way that gives advice to others who want to follow a similar path. Like it said, it’s new, but I’m enjoying it so far.
The Moment with Brian Koppelman
The Moment is one of two podcasts I never miss. I’ve listened to every episode and always come back wanting more. Brian interviews a multitude of creative people from musicians to writers to chefs to actors breaking down the moments (not just a clever title) when they decided to push through and achieve the success they had been pursuing. No matter what career you have chosen or dreamed of chasing, I can’t recommend this podcast enough.
War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence by Ronan Farrow
I won’t lie, this is a heavy subject. This Pulitzer Prize winning book traces the shift from American Diplomacy to Intelligence and Military policy through personal accounts and stories of the people who held those diplomatic positions. It’s absolutely fascinating, and the book reads more like a collection of stories than a textbook. It’s available free with Amazon Prime
The Boys
I love comic book movies (Marvel more that DC currently), but this show is a great take on the “how can we trust them?” genre. It’s less dystopian than Watchmen, but still presents a world in which superheroes aren’t quite what they appear to be. And it’s also free with Amazon Prime.
Check these out. I hope you enjoy them! Let me know what you think. And let me know what else I should be reading, watching, and listening to right now!
