I am writing this on Monday, September 7, 2026. It’s Labor Day here in the United States. If Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer here in America, then Labor Day is definitely the unofficial conclusion.
This weekend, Sierra and I went to visit her father. He lives a couple of hours north of me and has about 5 acres of property. Sierra has a camper that she keeps up there situated on an RV canopy storage platform, so she is able to go camping up there almost year-round. We really went for about a day and a half, leaving Friday night and coming back Sunday afternoon.
On Saturday, we went canoeing on the Au Sable River. The stretch we went on was approximately 12 miles. It was my very first time ever riding in a canoe, and I ended up tipping over twice. Which was definitely frustrating, but at the same time, I felt like I needed to get falling out of the boat out of the way. It was awkward, but I got up, emptied out the canoe, got back in the water, and kept going. More than falling out of the canoe—which everybody understands is going to happen every now and then on the water—my biggest issue was the sun. We doused ourselves in SPF 70 before we got in the water, but taking two dunks in the river and sweating up a storm rinsed most of that sunscreen right off.
I’m not a big outdoorsy guy, certainly not like I was when I was in Boy Scouts as a kid. But I know that Sierra grew up taking part in a lot of outdoor activities—hence the Sierra alias here on the blog. I know that kayaking and being on the water is something she genuinely enjoys, so I wanted to take part in it. In addition to that, I wanted to push my own boundaries. I wanted to do something I hadn’t done before. I kind of like working through adversity. Not like I enjoy struggling, exactly, but I like testing my own resilience and perseverance. When something goes wrong, I want to try to make it work. I want to power through and finish what I start.
I liked Sierra’s dad, and from what she told me, he thought I was a good guy. I was never really worried about meeting him or making a lasting impression. Truth be told, I do pretty well with parents. Like I’ve said here before on the blog, I listen to people, I respond, I interact with their conversations, and I’ve got a pretty decent sense of humor. At the risk of sounding like I’m bragging, I know I’m a pretty sociable kind of guy.
But I think more than any nerves or anxiety about meeting Sierra’s dad, I was excited because I know what meeting him represented for us in this relationship. At least, I know what it means for me. Sierra has already met Mother and Phred, and this coming weekend, I plan on her and Kid 2 meeting, hopefully at a baseball game this coming Sunday.
Meeting each other’s families is like planting a proverbial flag. We’re saying, “This is the person I choose to be with, and I want you to know a little more about my life.”
And I’ll admit, posting about it felt bigger to me than I initially let on, mostly because it’s been a very long time since I’ve done it. In past relationships, photos together were kept off socials entirely, tied up in the old habit of keeping “cushions” and keeping things guarded. With Sierra, those safety nets are gone. I’m all in. So posting pictures on Sunday wasn’t about baiting a reaction or playing social media games; it was simply about being forthright. There’s a massive difference between trying to make a grandiose announcement for attention and just looking at someone great, having an awesome weekend, and letting the world know you’re right where you want to be.
If I’m being honest, I’m having a hard time watching summer end—and not just because the cold weather is coming back. These last three and a half months have brought a seismic shift to the landscape of my life. Fourteen weeks ago, I was still dealing with the final legs of the old status quo, wrapping up the school year, and operating under a completely different set of rules. I wasn’t entirely ready for the impact Sierra would have on my life. I knew I liked her, but I didn’t think we would connect quite the way we did. It’s not a complaint, just a surprising, welcome reality—and I don’t think she expected it to hit quite like this either.
We’re still figuring it all out, but from day one, we’ve proceeded with intention, matching each other step-by-step until it was simply time to take the kid gloves off and let this engine run. We are moving forward, building something real, and leaving the old noise behind. Not a bad way to wrap up the summer at all.
Today’s post is inspired by the WordPress Daily Prompt. While I’ve taken the topic in my own direction for the Road beyond 1,000 Days, you can find more responses to today’s prompt HERE.
Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Having crossed the 1,000-day milestone, I’m now charting the territory beyond. The mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.
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The article “Planting Flags: Rivers, Resilience, and Moving Forward” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.
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