And then we left.

We didn’t return.

What most people didn’t know is that I wore a small recording device on my lapel for the entirety of our time there. It wasn’t for spying or scandal—it was for reflection. I wanted to capture everything: the conversations, the energy, the real-time thoughts Sarah and I had as we experienced it all—raw, unfiltered. When we got home, I uploaded the full transcript into Artificial Intelligence, using ChatGPT to summarize our experience into a single paragraph.

This is what it came up with:

Our experience at the event was a mix of fun moments, thoughtful reflection, and clear realization about what truly matters to us. We wandered through the activities—watched people compete, caught up with old faces, met new ones, and shared small talk and laughs—but underneath it all was a shared feeling of disconnect from the production and posturing of it all. While others played the part, we found ourselves craving sincerity, intimacy, and the simplicity of being together with our kids, having a cigar, watching a Marvel movie, and staying grounded. It was a night that reminded us of our values, our distaste for performance culture, and how grateful we are to have each other and a real life we don’t need to perform for anyone.
And that’s exactly it.

We don’t regret going. There’s something to be learned from everything—even from moments that leave a sour taste or confirm what we already know deep down. We live in a world that sells transformation in glittery packaging, but sometimes the real transformation comes from realizing you’re already where you want to be.

Grateful for the reminder.