Mostly Loved That
But also, I'm exhausted.
I know some readers skim the top of this newsletter to get to the “Loved That” section at the bottom.
Today I’m making a Loved That sandwich.
Partly because - even though I skipped last Monday in observance of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) - I still haven’t had much time to write.
More on that at the bottom.
For the top bread of this sandwich, here are some of the reflections from Third Nature Summer Camp that made me say an enthusiastic, LOVE THAT:
“As someone who showed up to Third Nature knowing no one I can say you are in the best of hands. From the very beginning you can see the thought, dedication and passion that Brian, Andrea, and Co. put into every single decision. Through this they attract an eclectic band of some of the kindest, funniest people (future friends). 12/10.”
- Glenn Z
“What a fantastic weekend. I got everything I wanted and more. It was a great chance to unplug to connect with myself, with others, and obviously with nature itself. I’m inspired by the organizers of the program and I’m so excited to have been able to meet and connect with such a wonderful network of like-minded individuals who are all on amazing journeys and will continue to inspire my own journey as well.”
- Dan L
“I seriously enjoyed connecting with the other moms at Third Nature. As a parent, I rarely get time to myself. This weekend was all about self discovery, joy, forming new friendships, and planning what comes next. I will be back next year!”
- Rachel B
“This is a magical transformative experience. Whether it was your first year or your 10th, this camp felt whole and beautifully orchestrated to bring together a perfect mix of diverse individuals. The facilitators have done an impeccable job of creating an accepting environment that invites challenge and growth. Masterfully balancing careful guidance with room for co-creation. Third Nature is a life expanding community I will forever be grateful to have stumbled into.”
- Les
For more of a window into Third Nature Summer Camp 2025, check out the dozens of stories that participants have shared on Instagram in the last week…
…or any of the 3 articles shared by Ray, Richard, or Marissa below.
Coming Home To Myself by Richard Lee-Thai
i have been making a playlist for people I have never met by Marissa Ontiveros
And if you missed my last newsletter…What Kind Of World Do You Want To Live In?
We’ll be back at Camp Scatico for Labor Day Weekend 2026, which is a little later next year - September 4-7.
If you’re interested, fill out this short form, and you’ll be the first to know when registration opens.
Summer Reflections & Fall Intentions
Our end-of-season reflection & intention workshop was last Friday, and we were joined by some awesome humans from around the world.
It still feels like summer in NYC and I certainly don’t want to rush Mother Nature out of that…but as we start to feel more crisp fall air, here are some prompts from the workshop I’ll continue to revisit (and encourage you to journal on as well):
As the natural world begins to slow down, where in your life do you want to slow down?
If summer was about outward energy, how might you turn inward this fall?
What light or warmth do you want to carry from the summer?
What do you want to harvest from all that you’ve planted this year?
Loved That
Here’s (again) where I enjoy sharing some of the things that made me say an enthusiastic, LOVE THAT, since I sent the last newsletter.
But there's another reason I do this: I believe "LOVED THAT" is a habit worth spreading. Taking the time to reflect on your week, savoring all the things you loved, is another form of gratitude practice that enhances happiness, fulfillment, optimism, and memory.
Do try this at home!
Anyway, here's mine from these last three weeks:
1. A fun and adventure-filled 36 hours in Eagle River, Wisconsin for my friend Worsek’s wedding.
Worsek had been yapping about his summers in Eagle River since we met during our freshman year at the University of Michigan. So when he decided to have his wedding there, I was excited to finally see what this little oasis in Northern Wisconsin was all about.
Turns out - it’s pretty dope. Eagle River is home to the largest interconnected chain of lakes in the world, which means the best way to explore is by water. On Friday, a few of us went on an epic kayaking adventure - we paddled from our Airbnb on Cranberry Lake, to Braywood on Catfish Lake, where our hard work was rewarded with fully loaded Bloody Mary’s + some authentic Wisconsin fried cheese curds.
But the thing I loved most was the love felt later that night at the Rehearsal Dinner while listening to all the heartfelt speeches from Worsek & Jeremy’s best friends and siblings.
And of course, getting to party with old and new friends, while reminiscing about Worsek’s antics through the years.
2. Matt & Carly’s Wedding in Rhinebeck, New York.
After a year where I only went to one wedding, I had two weddings in one weekend.
That Saturday morning, I caught the 6:30am flight from Rhinelander, Wisconsin back to NYC (with a stop in Minneapolis), before driving up to Rhinebeck, NY (lots of Rhine) for more fun, love, and friendship.
Despite being incredibly sleep deprived, I had an awesome time.
This was Alexis’ and my first wedding in Rhinebeck since our wedding, almost exactly 3 years ago, where (fun fact) Matt & Carly said “I love you” for the first time. So it felt really special to watch them share their beautiful vows while overlooking the lake where they’ve built a home together, before heading to Rose Hill Farm (which the most fanatical newsletter reader may remember from the “Favorite Things” section of the 11/20/23 edition) for an epic party.
3. The following weekend up at Camp Scatico for their Fall Open House, which included a quintessential camp Saturday.
I rented an Airbnb with 4 of my best friends that I grew up going to camp with, plus Alexis and Drew (everyone else’s wives and kids stayed home).
We played intense games of softball and basketball in the morning (won both, was money from 3), got Sal’s pizza and wings delivered to the Deli Trail (IYKYK), and then spent the afternoon lounging on some noodles in the lake.
After all that, we went out to Osaka (mentioned in the 2nd straight newsletter + 5th overall - maybe a record), before heading next door to the bar formerly known as The Black Swan (it’s called Traghaven now, but we’ll never not call it The Swan).
I love that at age 36, we can still have one of the best camp days of our lives.
4. Straight from Scatico, a nice 72 hours in Boston for Rosh Hashanah.
Family time can be stressful, but having a baby around + lots of delicious food helps - especially the everything bagel challah bread from Rosenfeld’s in Newton + Alexis’ dad’s brisket.
5. A weekend back home in Brooklyn. Like I said in last week’s newsletter, after bouncing around a lot from one adventure to another, this past weekend was exactly what I needed.
This newsletter was mostly “Loved That” and I mostly loved these last few weeks.
But I’m exhausted.
I don’t believe we humans are meant to be packing and unpacking, switching contexts when it comes to the people and nature we’re surrounded by, this often.
Especially baby humans.
This week, I’m excited for our family of 3 to sleep in our own beds for more than a few nights in a row.
Summer 2025 was awesome.
And, I’m ready for a more chill fall, to harvest more stories, lessons, and ideas from an eventFULL year.
You can always browse the archive of old but evergreen posts here.
Feel free to reply or comment with any thoughts or ideas that came up as you were reading - or things you’ve experienced recently that you LOVED.
Wishing you a great week ahead :)
With gratitude,
Brian