Our Story

It is nearly certain that I will revise the following text many times over the years but now is a good time as any to take a stab at explaining the purpose of this site.

Nearly two years ago, I was blessed with the birth of my son, Caleb. I spent the first 11 months of his life juggling graduate school, little to no sleep, a new city, and both the joys and utter frustrations that come with being a completely bright-eyed but inexperienced father. I enjoyed every moment of that time while learning the ropes of fatherhood and making every novice mistake I imagine all first-time fathers share (ohhhh…put the diaper on very quickly — now I see!). But along with the joy, and inevitable frustration, came a continual introspection. I wanted to know what other fathers went through, how the relationships to their children developed, how they dealt with those hair-pulling moments, and if they also felt an overwhelming love for their children.

With Caleb’s first birthday came a move across the country to Boston, a new job, and a completely new lifestyle and environment than my wife and I had ever experienced. Months passed and Caleb grew from a baby into a little boy, practically overnight. We put him in “school” (baby day-care) a few half-days a week as he was practically demanding greater stimulus than my wife and I could provide. His vocabulary seemed to explode after just one day at school, and one day shortly thereafter, I felt like I woke up and had missed half of his childhood.

Quite a bit of introspection followed as I was both deeply troubled that my son was growing up so quickly, but also determined to figure out a way to not only nurture his growth, but experience as much of it with him as possible.

I struggled with that challenge for a few months, and then during a family trip to Washington D.C., it hit me. Recording our story and striving to have adventures together was the answer.

Our trip was based on a several-day work conference my wife was attending and Caleb and I came along for a fun dad-and-son vacation to kill time during the daytime while my wife was working. To say that we had a blast would be an understatement. We walked several miles a day in 90+ degree heat, one of us primarily atop the shoulders of the other, and visited nearly every site one could reasonably pack in over three short days. Caleb’s sleep schedule was thrown completely out of whack, and he had his first major diaper change in several days (if you get my drift) just across the street from the White House (exercising free speech?). It was hot, humid, and nearly impossible to find food he would eat that wouldn’t constipate him. (The photo to the right was taken in Boston Common during February, not in Washington D.C. in the middle of June…just in case you were confused by the hat and winter coat.)

…but we still had a blast.

During our visits to the museums, the monuments on the mall, and the various random buildings we wandered into, we chatted, we played, he took periodic naps, we ran around, we explored, and generally tried to soak everything in. In other words, we bonded.

Upon our return home, Caleb seemed attached at my hip, and if this is possible to visualize, I at his. I had a considerable amount of trouble heading to work for several days, and fought the urge to take a week off and head out for another adventure with my son. But the more that I fought the urge, the more I realized that traveling with my son — to experience all of the various cultures, languages, geography, opulence and poverty, variety, and wonder that the world has to offer — felt like the most perfect way for us to build our relationship over the many many years ahead.

Empowered by this idea, I hunkered down to figure out how to make it happen. With a bit of brainstorming and the counsel of several very good friends, I came to the conclusion that our travels would have to have a strong purpose — one greater than the bond it would be sure to create between Caleb and me.

Our Purpose

Cutting to the chase, Caleb and I are in the search of the best of fatherhood, at home, abroad, under rocks, and wherever life takes us. As we have adventures each day, we will seek out fathers and see what we can learn about how they relate to their kids, and their kids to them. The questions that follow are just the tip of the iceberg.

› What makes their relationships unique and special?
› What is different about how they raise their children from how I raise Caleb?
› What about fathers that have very little interaction with their kids?
› And what about the fathers that spend far more time than I do with Caleb?
› What about fathers with children that they have adopted?
› Or children that find a father figure among the staff of an orphanage?

…The list of possible questions to seek answers to regarding fatherhood is never ending.To make our purpose manageable, we’ve distilled it down to “in search of the best of fatherhood” and will post experiences, words of wisdom from the people we meet, photographs from our adventures, and any pertinent resources that may prove useful to others hoping to accomplish the same goal.

Come take the journey with us.

~ Peter and Caleb

Our Family in Maine: Megan, Caleb, Nadine & me (Peter)