BITTERSWEET

This week we drove to Syracuse to drop Nicholas off at college. It was a bittersweet trip in so many ways - having our first born leave the nest but also seeing him spread his wings and pursue his passion and chosen career path.

One hour outside of Ann Arbor, we were met with a thunderstorm with an epic downpour of rain. Nicholas was at the wheel when the showers broke out, and conditions quickly deteriorated. He pulled over, and I could not help but feel that this was an ominous start to the trip. Kathleen took over the driving, and the showers slowly dissipated, making driving much more manageable. We reached Erie, PA around 1145, where we had booked a hotel for the night.

The next day, we set off on the remaining four hour drive to Syracuse so we could get there in time for a noon move-in at the dorm. We were greated at Day Hall by upperclasmen students who helped direct us and Nicholas' belongings to the right place. 

His roommate was already in the room with his mom, and it was nice to meet them both. Turns out his roommate is also a soccer fan and a Barca fan to boot! He and Nicholas had a chance to briefly talk and we proceeded to unpack his belongings and get him settled in. From there, Nicholas had a few orientation events on his own, and we headed to the hotel to check in.

Later that night, we picked him up and headed to dinner downtown. 

After picking up a few more items at Target, we dropped him off at his dorm room for the night. Outside the hall, we could hear a few students chatting it up. As we left, Nicholas stepped outside, too, and introduced himself.

The next day, we met up for the Newhouse School's welcome event, including a parents' session. Nicholas met us there that morning, looking a little tired. He explained that the kids on his floor were up much of the night, making it difficult for him to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning. Eventually though, he was able to fall asleep.

Realizing that there were still many events for him to attend over the next few days and that time spent with us would be an opportunity cost to immersing himself into his new home, we let him know we planned to leave later that day, a few days earlier than planned. He expressed understanding, and we headed to the school store to pick up some swag and earplugs!

After lunch in the dining hall near his dorm, we walked him back to the dorm. We said goodbye outside the dorm and both Kathleen and I gave him a big hug. Then, Nicholas headed back to the dorm while we watched him go inside. He did not turn around and look back at us. If he had, I think all of us would have felt even more sad and even more tears may have been shed. 

Kathleen and I walked down the hill and back to our car, remarking upon the amazing boy we brought into this world and the journey we have been on with him as parents. This is not the end of Nicholas' story with us. Rather, it is the next chapter in what we both hope will be a very fulfilling life. 

Parenthood is hard, but it feels much easier when one realizes that one's children's needs and desires come first. We will be okay as long as Nicholas feels okay and is achieving his dreams, even if it means he is no longer under our roof. As the great poet Naomi Shihab Nye wrote, "this is what is supposed to happen."

WHAT A RUN

This past Wednesday, we went to the England-Australia Women's World Cup semifinal match. The entire nation was behind the Tillies, or Matildas, as the Australian team is called, but alas England were too strong. In the end, the Lionesses prevailed 3-1, a scoreline that flattered the Tillies, who were outplayed for most of the game.

There were moments for Australia, including a breathtaking solo run from midfield by Sam Kerr that was capped off with a gorgeous strike - a shot many are calling one of the greatest goals in men's or women's World Cup history. Watching it again on replay, I truly appreciated exactly how much Kerr had to do on her own to score that goal, level the match at 1-1, and bring Australia back into the game.

Alas, Australia's defense wavered, too. They gave up two preventable goals, giving England an unsurmountable 3-1 advantage.

Despite this result, this nation was and remains captivated by its Tillies. There is still the third place match to play tomorrow in Brisbane, and I know the country will be behind the girls. I know I will. One can only hope that an entire generation of young girls will be inspired by this historic run to participate in soccer and to reach for their dreams, whatever they might be. One also hopes that the men in Australian society will get behind this team and women's sport. Half your population is an awful lot to waste!

RUNNING BUDDY

For the past few months since late Spring, Cate has been my daily running buddy. I am not sure why she decided to join me each day around 6AM, which most people would find an ungodly hour to exercise, but she has.

Each weekday after our runs, we go to the gym and alternate between an upper or lower body workout. On Saturdays, we make a 1.5 mile walk each way to the Starbucks by campus for our post-run drinks. This has become a delightful routine, and I will enjoy this as long as it lasts.

While on vacation in Sydney this week, we decided to keep up our running routine. After our first night in town, we woke up with plans to go out for our run. However, the annual Sydney City to Surf 14K Run was taking place, and runners were already streamed by when we were contemplating a running route. The ability to get across the street, let alone navigate to other parts of town to run, was severely limited, so we decided to join the throngs and jump into the race "bandit"-style without an official race number. 

We weaved in and out of the crowded street of runners and passed hundreds of people as we travelled along at a decent pace. When the organizers at one point announced to the crowd that the finish was only 2K away, I told Cate it might be time to bail. She was surprised that she would not get a chance to cross the finish line, but I told her that was reserved for the non-bandits. We pulled off the course and watched more runners stream by. It was one of our funnest runs that I'll soon not forget.

Running has meant so much to me for the past 30 years. On our run that morning, I told Cate than running allows you to see and experience a city in a very different way. The same holds true for experiencing other people. I hope that this is just the start of a lifetime of running with Cate!

BEEF, IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER

The kids and I enjoy watching food shows on Netflix, and we happened to catch one with the celebrity chef David Chang on steak recently. One of David's stops was Sydney to a restaurant called Macellerian, the Italian word for butcher. At the Macellerian, they take steak very seriously, and we were inspired to visit after watching the show. Needless to say, they did not disappoint.

Besides steak, they are known for their sausages, and Cate ordered their bangers and mash - a wagyu steak sausage with creamy mashed potatoes. Nicholas and Kathleen ordered striploins onto which they inexplicably added the most sacrilegious of items, barbecue sauce! I ordered the "eye filet" with a side of lamb merguez sausage, and grilled mixed greens (broccoli and broccolini), and we all shared some sweet potato wedges! Yum!

It was one of the best meals on the trip and one of the best steaks I have ever had! Maybe we will make another visit before we leave!

LA ROJA

Last night we watched the first Women's World Cup semifinal on the television in the flat we are staying at in Sydney. We had worried about our ability to watch the match because we had heard many of the game were not being televised locally. Fortunately, our hosts subscribed to the right streaming package!

Not surprisingly, the Spanish women's team shares a similar style of play as the men's team who helped me to fall in love with football and their style of play during their World Cup run. Every player is prepared to receive the ball and make positive forward passes. Any number of players can beat you because of their quick interchanges and ability to effectively read the game.

On this night against Sweden, it was a very tight affair. Though Spain had the majority of the ball, they were not able to penetrate the Swedish defense. That was until the introduction of Spanish attacker Salma Paralluelo, whose entered the game late into the second half. She struck the back of the net off a loose ball in the box in the 81st minute. However, Sweden picked up a loose ball of their own and leveled in the 88th minute. Though Sweden were considered the experts at set pieces, it was ironically Spain who made them pay on a late corner. They played it short to the left back Olga Carmona who struck her shut with venom with her left boot.

The Swedish goalkeeper Musovic, who was a hero against the U.S. in their round of 16 match barely got fingertips to the ball, tipping it into the undersurface of the bar and into the goal. 

What a comeback! What fight! Spain stayed true to their style of play but also improvised to get the job done. One must imagine that losing 4-0 to Japan earlier in the group stage and then giving up a late goal to the Netherlands in their quarterfinal match before prevailing in extra time must have given La Roja - as Spain are called  - the belief that they can pick themselves up and keep going. Tonight, they provided once and again that the state of Spanish football is very healthy, indeed.

LIONESSES

This past Saturday, our first night in Sydney, we headed to Stadium Australia for the quarterfinal match between England and Columbia immediately after taking in the Australia-France match nearby.

The stadium was mostly made up of Columbia fans decked out in yellow, and they were in full voice throughout much of the match. It was only after moments of brilliance for England that one could make out the English fans.

England are the reining European champions, and many considered them the favorites. However, it was a cagey match. England scored first, but Columbia equalized before halftime. England got a second goal in the second half. By that time, we were exhausted and falling asleep. 

We headed for the doors early and beat the crowds home on the public transit. All in all, it was a great day for soccer and a great start to our Australian World Cup adventure!

MATILDAS!

We arrived in Australia this week for the Women's World Cup! It was a 24 hour journey from Michigan to Sydney, including a four hour layover in LA and then a 14 hour flight to Sydney. Fortunately, we sleep much of the way here, and so we were in decent shape for the main events of the day - two quaterfinal matches. 

While we had tickets to the England-Columbia match our first night in town, we first wanted to watch the other quarterfinal that day - Australia vs. France. Therefore, we headed to the stadium early with the goal of seeing the Matildas, as the Aussie women's team are known, in a sports bar prior to the England match.

We found a nice pub called The Locker Room nearby and made our way in prior to kickoff. All the tables were taken, so we just sat on the floor. 

The crowd, understandably, was decidedly behind the Tillies, the Aussie's term of endearment for the Matildas. The game was an epic back and forth clash, and it finished 0-0 at the end of regular and added time. Therefore, it was on to penalties. Australia outlasted France after the shootout, which went to 10 rounds, capped by a peach of a penalty by substitute Clare Hunt!

Subsequently, we found a nice documentary about the Matildas on Disney Plus, which we have been watching. It is really quite good, and I sense a true team spirit that is missing from a lot of the other national teams.

We are routing for the Matildas to go all the way. We will see them take on England in 2 days time. Until then, Go Tillies!