evens & co

As a kid, I'd never had a pet. The idea of having an animal roam about your home felt like a silly concept and a wasteful use of time and resources. Over the last few years with our two dogs, Sophie and Khloe, I've found enlightenment. Our dogs give us a lot of joy and companionship, particularly when either Caity or I would otherwise be home alone due to our work schedules or other outside commitments.  To end in the most cliché of ways – I couldn't imagine our life without our two furry family members. 

Over the next few months, I'm really going to commit to studying for the CFA. I'm a bit behind schedule, but I'm publicly committing to studying. If I don't, I'll make a donation to the Trump campaign.

The past few days, I've been going through my old things to make some physical space for the future. I've read through old report cards stretching back to kindergarten, looked at high school photos, held my Preview backpack and flipped through cards I've received over the years. It's been a reminder of where I've been and given some direction as to where I should go. I had no intention of gathering meaning from a pile of forgotten things, but that's exactly what I did. You should try it.

There's something about a fresh start that helps put new energy behind achieving your goals. I want to eat healthier and exercise more, and so far I'm doing just that.

Last year, I skipped sharing New Year's resolutions because I was never able to get traction in previous years. While that still might be the case for the upcoming year, I'd like to at least make an attempt and start the year with a particular focus on daily habits. Meditate. Exercise. Read. Write. Love. Writing those five words, it feels relatively simple. Now I just need to stick to it.

Lately, I’ve had the feeling of being too comfortable. It’s a strange thing to worry about. For most of my adult life, I’ve felt stretched beyond my means, leading to longer nights but faster growth. However, as I find myself more closely adhering to a standard 8:00 to 18:00 with the occasional happy hour for variety, I’ll eventually look to find more work or an engage in an outside hobby which I’ve yet failed to identify. This reads as a petty complaint, and it is. I already have what I need and quite a bit more.

I recently began researching my ancestry on Ancestry.com , and I was able to go as far back as 1750 but only my paternal side. On my maternal side, my family tree quickly stops at my grandparents. I often forget how differently my parents grew up — my dad was born in the Midwest and my mom was born in the Philippines. And even though my wife and I both grew up in Florida, it's likely our future kids could say the same of us. Our roots may seem somewhat trivial when we're young and trying to make a name for ourselves, but I've realized our family history takes on greater importance as we age. We aren't the first to arrive, nor likely the last to leave.