On becoming Vacation Dad

A few years ago my kids came up with a nickname for me whenever we go on family trips together.

They call me “Vacation Dad.”

Vacation Dad is the guy who insists on getting dessert after every meal.

He doesn’t worry about his kids being in front of a screen all day, picking up after themselves, or being up late.

Vacation Dad is the essence of chill.

And his influence extends beyond our family. Often Vacation Dad can be found striking up conversations with other unsuspecting vacationers.

No matter where he shows up, Vacation Dad is quick with a smile and some friendly banter.

People for some reason seem to like this character, which is why he began to appear in everyday life, far from any sandy beach.

I’ll spend entire days as the outgoing version of myself, while the more reserved version waits for Greg to come back down to earth.

Except, with each passing year, I see the benefits of Vacation Dad outweighing the negatives.

Being a bit chatty, for example, is outweighed by the number of times I’ve uncovered some personal connection I wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

Annoying outgoingness is outweighed by making a meaningful contact.

The other day, Vacation Dad randomly pulled up to a guy driving the new Cybertruck.

After we got to talking, I found out he’d recently interviewed Elon Musk. Crazy. Now I'm one degree of separation from a billionaire.

But seriously, this chance encounter never would have happened with the old iteration of me.

I’m starting to think Vacation Dad is here to stay.

Hey, he’s having a good time.