A Father-Daughter Journey
Hiking, Growth, and Lessons on Wealth & Life🏔️👣💙
It started innocently enough. Samantha, at just nine months old, secured in a baby carrier on my back, embarking on her first "hike" at Dutch Cousins campground. There was nothing remarkable about the campground itself, but for us, it marked the beginning of something special. We set up our family tent, placed the pack-and-play inside, and set off. Though she didn’t walk that day, she soaked in the sights, voiced no complaints, and eventually dozed off to the rhythm of the trail. 🌲🥾
Fast forward eighteen years—and I mean fast, like triple-speed, like skipping to the end of a movie and wondering how we got here. It’s Christmas 2024, and I unwrap a present from my now-grown Samantha. Inside is a simple sheet of paper with a picture of a hiking trail. Her gift to me? A father-daughter hiking trip—her initiative, her planning, her way of deepening our relationship. It was a proud dad moment. No longer could I carry her on my back, but in a way, she was now carrying me—taking the lead, ensuring we got on the trail together, despite my quiet fear of her leaving for good, of time slipping too quickly away. 🎁🥾💫
Of course, we want her to go and GROW—that’s the whole point. But, man, just writing this brings tears to my eyes. 😭
The Journey Begins: Pivoting to Harpers Ferry
The day arrived, and we set out. Originally, we had planned to head north to the Finger Lakes National Forest in New York, but the forecast warned of biting winds and a "feels-like" temperature of nine degrees. While both of us have endured colder, this older (and perhaps wiser) man knew that if I wanted long hours of quality time fireside for deep conversations, we needed slightly warmer temps. So, we pivoted—choosing Harpers Ferry, West Virginia instead. 🔄🔥
Harpers Ferry holds a special place in my heart. It’s where my journey through the C&O Canal intertwined with the Appalachian Trail. It’s where I first trekked with my now-partner at Members' Wealth, @TimothyMacarak on our sojourn from Delaware to West Virginia. I’ve hiked all three surrounding states—Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia—on those very trails, and I’ve shared adventures there with my college buddy Browny and my Wharton classmates. But perhaps the most unforgettable trip was with my father, biking the C&O Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh. 🚴
The first day—60 miles from Georgetown to Harpers Ferry—pushed us both to our limits. I still remember stopping for lunch in Harpers Ferry, only to face a steep uphill ride to our lodging afterward—my dad might have murdered me if he had the energy! 😂
Conversations That Matter: Money, Mindset, and More
This past weekend, my love for Harpers Ferry was fully cemented—this time with Samantha. Being the ever-planning, ever-learning father, I had three topics in mind that I wanted to discuss—but only if they arose naturally. And they did. We had a magnificent conversation covering: 💬🔥
💰 Money & Investing (She brought it up, I swear!)
🍷 Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction
🚀 Thinking Big & Not Being Afraid to Fail
While we covered countless other topics—including dinosaurs and geological time, evolution, organized religions relative to spirituality, the universe, time travel, and her dreams of saving the environment (which, in part, stems from a fear of a dying planet but also from her strong desire to never have to go to space 🚀🌍)—these three set the foundation for open discussions for the rest of our lives.
Wanderlust, Growth, and Doing Hard Things on Purpose
It was the ultimate wanderlust weekend—a blend of relationships, growth, accountability, and doing hard things on purpose. 💪🌎 If I get one trip like that with my daughter every year, I have nothing more to ask of her. It is her life to live, and I am here with just one simple request:
Let’s go hike, and the rest will take care of itself. 🥾✨
Happy Trails! The Wandering Wealth Advisor
