We Came We Saw We Left: A Family Gap Year--Book Review

 

The Family That Travels Together Learns Together

Years ago my girlfriend bought me a book years ago called Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science. Its author is Charles Wheelan, a lecturer at Dartmouth and all around statistics geek. One measure of how well someone knows their topic is the extent to which they can explain it to a novice. Yes…me. It’s is the best book I’ve read on the mechanics of banking, paper money and how it explains almost everything relating to exchange. He writes simply. That’s the best thing you can do.

The Gift of Books

I was in Barnes and Noble doing some Christmas shopping, for others naturally. I searched the travel section because I love the genre thought others might enjoy it. We Came We Saw We Left: A Family Gap Year caught my attention on the upper shelf. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a sucker for a good cover image. It’s an aerial view of a bus kicking up dirt on a backcountry road and a view of the ocean. Based on where the family traveled, I’d say it’s in South America, but who knows? It gives off a remote vacation vibe. I wanted to go there. I wanted to read the book. The gift giving would have to wait.

The title is dopey. I’m not a title snob at all, but you have to give me more than “We Left”. I get that there’s a subtitle about this being a vacation trip with the family. But a little more of a theme would help. Like, “We Came We Saw We Survived”, or “We Came We Saw We Grew”. Better? Maybe not much, but it’s just non-descript and leaves me with a blank space about the nature of the trip. At least “We Came We Saw, Yada Yada Yada” would have been funnier.  

The Gift of Travel

Ultimately not a big deal however, the author created an fun and interesting read. I didn’t realize until after reading the little blurb on the back that it’s the Naked Economics guy, Charles Wheelan. Once an author makes an impression there is a good chance I’ll read them again. I bought it right there. Actually, I searched my library app for a free copy and free availability. Who could have predicted? It was available. So No I didn’t buy it.

A lot of what’s interesting about the story is how they were able to take a 9 month vacation around the world with the whole family. Charles and his wife have 3 kids. The oldest daughter was in her last year of high school. The other two, one daughter and a young son, were old enough to travel with the family and appreciate it. At least appreciate it in that teenager sense, where their own friends and interests still outrank a trip with the parental units. The idea for the gap year trip came from Charles and his wife Leah, who did a similar trip as newlyweds. If travel brings you joy then travel. It’s not for every person and certainly not every family. But the Wheelans place great importance on experiences in foreign places. Making a priority for the family is admirable.

The Gift of Accounting

They rented their home for at least part of the trip to their cousins. It solved two problems right away, a caretaker for the dogs and money for expenses. The couple planned the trip with tight budgeting and started saving in advance. It sounds like Leah was the gatekeeper of the finances. Nine months can get expensive with all the flying and apartment renting they did. At one point Charles mentions avoiding Europe altogether because of the cost. But they did travel through South America, Australia, Africa and Asia.

Along the way came the usual travel problems of illness and missed flights, lost goods and bureaucratic silliness. Katrina, the oldest daughter picked up a flesh eating bacteria on her ankle that antibiotics didn’t help. The other two, Sophie and CJ take online classes but struggle to keep up and turn in the work. The Wheelans struggle to stay on top of the kids’ education while distractions abound. I’d expect this to be the most difficult aspect of bouncing around the world. Kids need routine when it comes to homework. Then again, without friends and school activities filing up the week, they should have more time. But it’s vacation too.

The Gift of Learning

My favorite story was of the family’s trip to the Amazon. In a series of dangerous trips up the river and through caves, they took chances and learned how to support each other. It felt a bit like a metaphor for the whole idea of taking a gap year. From the finances to the planning and the diversions in between, there is a lot that goes into a global adventure and it’s not a guarantee you’ll enjoy it. You might also get robbed or violently ill from eating something your body couldn’t handle. Living from country to country like this isn’t for the faint of heart. But that’s also the point of doing it. You might find a new passion for surfing in Australia or hiking in Patagonia. Adventure means leaving what’s comfortable and striking out. If you’re up for it, it might make you a life long globe trekker. It’s what Charles and Leah discovered after their first year of marriage.

Conclusion

I talked to an Irishman just the other day about the travel habits of Americans. He asked where I visited when I flew to Ireland with my brother and friend. I rattled off a list of cities and regions. “How long were you there?” he asked. I told him 10 days and he shook his head. “You can’t see it like that”. What he meant was, don’t move around so much. As Americans we do too much on vacation. That’s the stereotype at least. It holds up here with the Wheelans as well. Obviously they enjoyed it, so it doesn’t matter what I think. It’s my only critique of the trip. They covered too much territory for a 9 month trip. Likely the kids will develop an appreciation for travel though and make it an essential part of their children’s education. Well done guys.  

 

Limiting Football On TV: Or Being Cheap With the Programing

 

The High Cost of Too Much TV: Learn to Say No

 I missed the Bears game last week. I followed the game on one of those YouTube channels where a fan tells you what’s going on in the game in real time. It’s not as good as watching the game, but it’s at least a real time broadcast. I don’t think I can even listen on the radio for free anymore. The last time I tried it I had to log in or sign up or get some app. Whatever the requirements were, I didn’t want to mess with it. As for the NFL ticket or game package on TV, I’m not about to shell out that much. I’m pretty sure it’s around $500 to see every game. I’m a fan, but not that much.

Football and TV

Even my brother only gets the red zone. He can certainly afford to buy the full package, but he won’t fork over that much either. I might be exaggerating the price a little, but I’m sure it’s in the $500 range. While at work earlier this summer, I talked with my coworker about the package. Despite his lifelong interest in the Denver Broncos, he refused to pay it as well. YouTube might have overshot the interest in the plan. Then again, I don’t know how much they bought it for. At least I have Prime. I can see all the Thursday games and one black Friday game every year. This year the Bears played the Eagles on black Friday.

I’d rather the NFL got rid of the Thursday games. At least with black Friday it’s only one week per year they do a Friday game. The teams don’t get the full rest they need on Thursday and it shows. It’s usually the sloppiest game you’ll see all year.

I can’t back this up with any kind of data, it’s a ‘feel thing’. Sloppy play means a lot of false starts and poor routes, missed tackles and on-field fights. If your team looks out of sink it’s probably a Thursday game. More Bears games would be nice, but I can’t justify the high price of the TV package. Anyway I don’t have YouTube premium or whatever they call it. The MLB network package worked out well for me this year. At the beginning of the season it was around $150 for the year. I didn’t get every Cubs game but probably around 75% of them. But I didn’t buy the package until May, which means I missed a whole month. By then it was only $60 through Prime. I used that month to find out if the Cubs would be worth watching 3 nights a week. They were. This upcoming year I’ll get the package again, but I’m not sure if buying through Prime is the same thing as just buying through MLB network.

Can’t imagine it’s any different but I never checked it out.

Reading and No TV

Sports are basically the only thing I’ll pay for. Prime is the only streaming service I have. It’s the crappiest one as far as shows and movies, but I’m not paying for Netflix or Hulu or Disney. You have to decide which one you want and forget the rest. TV shouldn’t be this expensive. It used to be free after all. Just adjust the rabbit ears on the top of the screen and hope it doesn’t short out on you. But then again, we do have a lot of options nowadays that didn’t exist before. And the vast number of shows and films made every year is staggering. But at some point, you can’t watch everything. You need to be choosy for the sake of your mental health if nothing else.

Free time can make people lazy. I’m certainly in this camp, but I’m trying to make better choices with my time. Books are better for your brain than movies. I don’t have a study to reference but it’s obvious right? There is something about reading that inspires writing too. I’ve noticed this while reading. It’s like there is some section of the brain where reading and writing thrive and even work on the same frequency. TV has a way of turning off some creative part of your brain. As much as I like sports, I’m more selective with how many games I watch per Sunday. Bears weren’t on today in my area. I turned it off. Not like I didn’t want to watch football either. But if I watched an early game, I’d probably watch a later game. And then I’d watch some of the Sunday night game, while talking on the phone to my cousin. On a warmer day I’d be outside raking leaves and being productive.

Conclusion

Circling back to the NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, the high cost almost ensures you’ll watch more football. When you pay a steep price for something you want to get the most out of it. I’d feel obligated to keep the channel on all day. That’s something I don’t need. For now I’ll watch what I can and read more books. This wasn’t meant to be New Year’s resolution post, but it’s sounding a lot like one. I guess that’s OK, we’re in the season for it. Merry Christmas and go Bears!

Avoiding the Hospital and Trying to Live Healthy

 

Time and Healthy Living Will Blunt Most Medical Conditions

I had a checkup with my doctor the other day. I’m required to go at least every few years to get my prescription refilled. I have enough refills throughout the year to survive, but per the insurance, I can’t just keep getting the same drug in perpetuity. Maybe it’s the drug companies that require that, I’m not sure. Either way it feels like wasted time. We can handle most of this through the web chart portal I would think.

 “Still having the same issues?” Yes.

 “Any difference on the prior history forms since 3 years ago?” No.

I suppose they need to do the requisite blood pressure checks and breathing tests. In person visits are the only way, no getting around that.

Early Childhood Skepticism

We didn’t go to the doctor much as kids. Only the most serious issues would force a begrudging trip to the emergency room or walk in clinic. My parents figured our bodies could take care of whatever illness worked its way through our system. Kids get respiratory infections all the time. Stomach aches too and ear infections are a regular part of growing up. Broken arms and fingers need to be set of course, but fevers just need time. You might miss school but after a short while you’ll be back to normal. There are always exceptions. I still have a scar on my right middle finger from stuffing my hand into a coffee mug and cracking the porcelain while washing the dishes. Needless to say, we rushed to the emergency room after I stopped the bleeding with a tightly wound rag.

As an adult I’ve kept the same reluctant approach toward hospitals and doctors. It’s not a fear necessarily but a “why bother” attitude. Your body can fix most attacks whether flu or headaches. Some things take longer to leave your system, but rest and time are all that’s needed. There might be some superstition in my thinking I’ll admit. Like, if the doctor can’t see something “off” in my bloodwork it’s not really a problem. This is a bit like not checking your bank account balance and hoping it’s still full after buying a vacation cruise package to the Bahamas. If I don’t look at it then I don’t have to think about it.

But there’s some truth to not thinking about problems and just letting your body fix it.

The Internal Fix

As a runner I’ve lost count of all the ankle, foot and calf pain that seems to be a regular occurrence. I’m not talking about debilitating pain but nagging injuries. Every few weeks another one pops up. They’re not enough to keep me from jogging though. Usually stretching and sleep are enough. Plantar Fasciitis was the worst injury I’ve experienced. That one forced me to quit running for 3 to 4 months until I didn’t notice it anymore. Stretching didn’t help. Massages didn’t help. Only prayer and waiting got me over the hump. The point is, the body is designed to heal itself.

Despite the sickness and disease in the world, our bodies are constantly fighting off infection, repairing damaged tissue and breaking down toxins. Our part is staying healthy and choosing to exercise and eat right. My attitude towards doctor visits was shaped as a kid. At root, is a belief in the body’s ability to heal itself. If God is the designer of our bodies, it means he created them to heal and repair and function in an orderly way. That’s a first principles philosophy on health and fitness for me. It’s only a starting point though. There remains a slew of health issues that have nothing to do with poor diet or inactivity. But leaving aside autoimmune diseases, birth defects and mental disorders, a lot of illnesses are lifestyle related. Meaning, diet and exercise are being ignored.

New Approaches to Health

I’m not one to preach healthy living but the whole MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement has made me rethink food. Like most conservatives I’ve always taken a libertarian approach to the health of others. It’s none of my business. The finger wagging stuff from the federal government has always irritated me. Unfortunately, health care’ is now shorthand for medicine and hospitals. That means runaway costs for people that probably shouldn’t be on drugs, if they took better care of themselves. In an ideal system everyone would pay their own healthcare without the distorting effect of insurance on the market. We aren’t there yet. For now, it’s a government run system heavily dependent on a both federal dollars and insurance company cooperation. I don’t pretend to understand it all. It’s too opaque.

Like education, health care spending in America outpaces nearly every other country and produces the worst results. We’re dumber and sicker. Since the American heath care system is so intertwined with multiple interests, it’s not out of bounds to start reigning in the drug companies. They’re a major beneficiary of the total spending, and that’s the way they like it. But we don’t need cheaper drugs as much as we need fewer people on drugs. I hope this is where RFK Jr and HHS (health and human services) end up. So far he’s lost a lot of people who aren’t serious about the direction of the cabinet. He’s right to start from the position that Americans are as unhealthy as we’ve ever been, and work backward towards a solution.

Conclusion

I started off mentioning my visit to the doctor to get a refill. I didn’t miss the obvious irony either, complaining about people who don’t need drugs while taking one myself. All I can say is it’s not from poor health, mental or physical. But then again, maybe there is more I can do from a trial and error perspective. I suppose I could try a different set of vitamins. The body was made to heal itself after all. God designed us as image bearers of Him.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14)