We Went Out With a Bang

This year, I decided to end things on a high note.

We surprised the kids with a Christmas trip to Iceland. Originally, the plan was New York… until I looked at the holiday hotel prices and said absolutely not. A flight to NYC was $500. A flight to Iceland was $700. Hotels in Manhattan were running $1,500 a night. Iceland? $600.

I mean, at that point, it’s a no-brainer. 

And honestly? Probably the better move anyway.

We landed on the 22nd, rented a car, and drove through landscapes that looked surreal. We found this cozy cabin to call home for the week, just the four of us tucked away with some much needed peace and quiet. I’ve wanted to see the Northern Lights for years, and standing there with Julie and the kids while the sky did its thing was incredible. There’s no doubt that this will be a core memory that sticks with us for years to come. 

We hit the Blue Lagoon, checked off a few bucket-list stops, and for once, no one was rushing. We had no schedules to follow or back-to-back meetings. It was just family, cold air, and enough time for my brain to finally relax.

Right before Iceland, I took my son to Madrid for a Real Madrid game. Watching his face in that stadium was its own kind of highlight reel. There’s something about sharing those experiences with your kids that hits harder than any business win ever will. These moments are the chapters they’ll remember. If we aren’t making memories now, then we aren’t making memories at all.

Between Madrid and Iceland, this month shifted something for me. Not in a dramatic, life-changing way. More in the subtle “hey, pay attention” way. The kind of shift you only notice when you finally give yourself space to breathe.

I’ve been talking a lot this year about intentionality. About slowing down. About making decisions that line up with who I am now, not who I was five years ago or who everyone else thinks I should be. These trips reinforced that. I don’t need to cram my life with more. I just need to live the parts I already have with purpose.

As we head into 2026, I’m carrying that with me. Less noise. More presence. Fewer autopilot decisions. More alignment. I don’t have the whole next year mapped out and for once, I’m good with that. The plan is simple: move with intention, keep growing, and protect the things that matter most.

Here’s to closing out the year with gratitude, a few great memories, and a clearer sense of direction.

– G aka the Guy Who Finally Took His Own Advice on Slowing Down

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