Seize Opportunities Before They Expire

I'm writing this newsletter from the Mazatlán airport in Mexico, waiting for my flight home. I flew here to experience the total solar eclipse, and I can say without hesitation that totality was awesome in the most literal sense of the word.

But it almost didn't happen for me.

Seven weeks ago, amid the chaos of leaving my job, I remembered the eclipse was approaching. This realization came far too late to make proper plans. All hotels were booked, and flight prices were astronomical. What would we do with the kids? My youngest is too young to leave with someone else for an extended period, so we'd have to make international travel plans late in the game for the entire family—which would include hurdles like rushing a passport for the baby and other daunting challenges.

There were simply too many headwinds, so I tried to make peace with missing it.

I was deeply disappointed because everyone I know who experienced the 2017 eclipse told me it was more than a bucket-list item—it was a life-al…