Escape Adulthood

Dream Big

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Hey Parents: What Super Power Would You Most Want to Have?

Our family dressed up like The Avengers this Halloween. It all started a few months ago when Lucy insisted that she wanted to be Captain America. (She has a thing for his shield.) Our son Ben is quite the grunter, so he seemed like a good choice as Hulk, and things snowballed from there. After the dust settled, Kim and I got into a discussion of what super power we'd most want to have in our role as parents. Since I have had many moments holding a sleeping kid with the remote control or my phone just out of reach, I would LOVE to possess the "Force-like" ability to levitate objects and …

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The Art of Living Unconventionally: Interview with Chris Guillebeau

A few years ago, Chris Guillebeau made it his goal to visit every country in the world before his 35th birthday. He's already visited over 175 of them, and is on pace to complete the quest next year. He is also a writer, entrepreneur, purveyor of the blog The Art of Non-Conformity, and author of the excellent book by the same name. His mission is to help people live unconventional lives, make their own choices, and change the world. We had a chance to chat with Chris recently, and covered a wide range of topics. We asked him about his world travels, how his adventure has changed him, and …

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How to Do What You Love and Create a New Future

Many people I talk to have an inkling of some kind of dream business they'd love to start. A cute yarn store. An interior design consultancy. A little coffee shop. It's often deep in the back of their mind, buried by things like fear and doubt. Something's holding them back: Lack of funds. Uncertainty about what steps to take. Or the comfort of a job that already pays the bills and provides benefits, even if it's one they dislike so much that they'd rather punch kittens for a living. …

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Caine’s Arcade Will Make Your Day

What happens when kids are allowed to be bored, without any organized extracurricular activities and without access to iPods, iPhones or video games? What happens when parents encourage their kids' creativity, even if it makes a mess? What happens when one person is unafraid to let his inner child to come out and play when everyone else is too busy, inhibited, or just too "adult?" What happens when hundreds of people do something simple to make the day of a child? Magic, that's what. This video is the story of a 9-year-old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade inside his …

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Good Riddance, February (or How To Get a Taste of Your Dreams Now)

Kim and I have visited many awesome places, but so far, nothing has changed the fact that we love where we live. Wisconsin has a lot of good things going for it, including the seasons. We love ‘em. All four of ‘em. The fresh optimism of spring that's made even more magical by a cold winter. The summer that gets hot, but not so hot that you have to stay in air conditioned cocoons for four months. The crisp fall with a color explosion of leafy goodness that serves as the perfect backdrop for pumpkin pie and hot apple cider. And even the cold, white, quiet of winter has its high points, what …

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The Cardboard Chameleon

It's the thing that gets played with the most on Christmas morning. It's been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. It's the blank canvas that can, with the cleverness of a child's imagination, swiftly transform from a a getaway car to a medieval castle to a time machine at a moment's notice. It is proof, as Thomas Edison proclaimed, that the greatest invention in the world is the mind of a child. [ Acrylic on watercolor paper, 10 x 14 inches. ] …

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What My Babymoon Taught Me About Making Dreams Come True

When we booked our first speaking gig in Alaska, neither Kim nor I had ever heard of a babymoon. According to the hip kids these days, a babymoon is like a honeymoon. Except in reverse. On an honeymoon, you relax and enjoy downtime together AFTER the big day. With a babymoon, mom and dad get away for a little R&R time BEFORE the baby comes (at which point sleep and coherent conversations become rare). Seeing the Northern Lights in person had been on my bucket list for a while, so I was curious as to what our chances were of seeing them while in Fairbanks, which is where the conference I …

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