From the Editor

When people ask about Sophisticated Living's origin story, I often say that Eric and I would have never endeavored to become publishers if we knew what we didn't know. The bliss of ignorance mixed with a bit of youthful hubris was undoubtedly integral in propelling us onward and upward in the early years.

I could also cite not knowing what I didn't know for many of my life choices; a thought brought to the forefront again during a spring rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon (see related story on page 48). An adherent of active outdoor pursuits all of my life, I am all but convinced that had I known that being a rafting guide was a viable career choice, my life would have turned out much differently. It's certainly not a lucrative career, but I've yet to meet a guide of any age who regretted their choice. With that being said, I have zero regrets about the direction my life has taken. Still, as I am now at an age nearing what is considered by experts to be halfway to the finish line, it's interesting to ponder the butterfly effect of choices, both real and fancied.

My childhood was idyllic but largely culturally homogeneous, so it wasn't until adulthood that my horizons expanded enough to color my world fully. Coincidentally, many of these experiences presented themselves after my daughter's birth, allowing both of us to experience the benefits of a greatly expanded worldview simultaneously.

I was all smiles after completing the 4+ muddy miles that made up the Tame the Terrain obstacle race this past June. One of my all-time favorite "mud runs," you can get more information about the 2022 event at tametheterrain.com. Photo by Tony Bailey.

Not quite ready to exit the funhouse after recently completing her undergraduate degree at the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon, France (and who am I to blame her?), my daughter is staying on to obtain an MSc in Wine Management. I partially attribute her extended European endeavor to possessing the same chutzpah her father had in his twenties, along with knowing a little more about the world and the possibilities open to her than I did at her age.

There's a popular sentiment that Americans live to work while the French work to live. A labor law enacted in 2017 gives French employees the "right to disconnect" from electronic leashes like email once they've clocked out for the day. While I have no idea what career path my daughter will ultimately choose, I do know that her time living abroad has taught her a valuable lesson about maintaining a healthy work-life harmony. It's an area where I hope to glean some insight from her as I've yet to master the balance in the nearly two decades we've been publishing Sophisticated Living.

Maybe it’s not too late to see if Western River Expeditions is hiring…

P.S. I'm sending get well wishes to a good friend of the Sophisticated Living family who is fond of saying that he'll never be "fancy enough" to make it into the pages of the magazine. Well, here you go, Mo. Your wicked wit and colossal heart are all the qualifications you need to make it into my book.

Bridget Williams, Editor-In-Chief bridget@slmag.net