<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Dad Diary]]></title><description><![CDATA[As a 38-year-old individual enjoying the journey of parenthood, I am eager to establish a supportive community for partners worldwide to share insights and experiences. My own relationship thrives in a multi-faith and multi-cultural context.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PMgB!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf6e1f17-2e4c-46fe-a5da-ee1cb205e22b_1080x1080.png</url><title>The Dad Diary</title><link>https://www.dadiary.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 01:50:12 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.dadiary.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[davidbanigjr@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[davidbanigjr@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[davidbanigjr@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[davidbanigjr@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Not the Week I Planned]]></title><description><![CDATA[When momentum stalls, but perspective pulls you back.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/not-the-week-i-planned</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/not-the-week-i-planned</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:01:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e4383157-a8e9-4de7-90a2-726ef904325c_1536x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This week was supposed to be exciting. Productive. Forward-moving.</p><p>Instead, it just felt&#8230; off.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Work was a grind in the most frustrating way. IT issues all week &#8212; my computer resetting every few hours, updates failing, and no real fix in sight. One of those situations where you&#8217;re stuck, watching time slip, and there&#8217;s nothing you can do about it. The kind of thing that drains you faster than actual hard work.</p><p>Then Saturday hit.</p><p>What started as a great day with Jasper took a turn when travel plans &#8212; something I&#8217;d been really looking forward to &#8212; fell apart fast. In a matter of hours, it went from possibility to nothing. And the reality started to set in: after May, I might be stuck close to home for the rest of 2026.</p><p>That didn&#8217;t sit well.</p><p>Not just for me, but thinking about experiences &#8212; for Jasper, for us as a family. It&#8217;s frustrating when things stall, especially when the reasons feel avoidable. Still, getting stuck in that frustration doesn&#8217;t change the outcome.</p><p>Sunday usually helps reset things.</p><p>Time at the gurudwara is where I slow down, reflect, and get grounded again. But with my partner preparing to be on the road next week, even that rhythm got disrupted. It felt like the one constant I rely on wasn&#8217;t quite there this time.</p><p>And I&#8217;ll be honest &#8212; it carried over.</p><p>Even looking ahead to my upcoming trip to Arizona, I&#8217;m struggling to feel the same excitement. It&#8217;s hard when your expectations take a hit. And yeah, the thought of another Canada trip &#8212; while always good &#8212; feels more like routine than something new right now.</p><p>But here&#8217;s where it shifts.</p><p>At the end of the day, I&#8217;ve still got what matters most &#8212; my partner and Jasper.</p><p>Plans change. Trips fall through. Weeks don&#8217;t go the way you expect.</p><p>But the foundation is still there.</p><p>So maybe this isn&#8217;t about where I&#8217;m going next.</p><p>Maybe it&#8217;s about what I build right here, right now.</p><p>Because if I can&#8217;t control the map&#8230; I can still control the direction.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sick Days, Vaisakhi, and a Needed Reset]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reflection, family moments, and realizing it&#8217;s time to make a change.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/sick-days-vaisakhi-and-a-needed-reset</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/sick-days-vaisakhi-and-a-needed-reset</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:03:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ef5e0333-3987-4e35-9c78-c7a8885512e1_1536x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This week started with Jasper getting sick.</p><p>It showed up right after Sunday at the gurudwara and carried through most of the week. Tuesday was definitely the worst of it &#8212; the kind of day where you can tell your little one just isn&#8217;t himself. By Wednesday, after &#8220;school&#8221; (his word for daycare), he started to turn the corner a bit.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Of course, daycare comes with its own realities. Toddlers share everything &#8212; toys, laughs&#8230; and germs. So we know where it likely came from. The timing just never feels ideal, especially with everything else going on.</p><p>Because this week wasn&#8217;t just any week &#8212; it was <strong>Vaisakhi</strong>.</p><p>A meaningful time in Sikh culture, marking both the formation of the Khalsa and the harvest season &#8212; a moment of renewal, gratitude, and preparation for what&#8217;s next. It&#8217;s one of those times of year that naturally brings reflection.</p><p>And this year, that part hit a little deeper.</p><p>We also had family coming in from out of town, which made Jasper being sick even tougher. It&#8217;s one of those parenting trade-offs &#8212; protecting your child and others means sometimes missing out on moments you were really looking forward to. Hopefully we&#8217;ll get that time back soon.</p><p>There&#8217;s also a lot of discussion around this time being the <strong>Sikh New Year</strong>, depending on how you look at the calendar. Whether it&#8217;s Vaisakhi or the start of <strong>Chet</strong>, the message feels the same &#8212; a chance to reset, reflect, and move forward with intention.</p><p>For me, that reflection is landing on something simple but difficult: <strong>technology</strong>.</p><p>It&#8217;s easy for it to creep in &#8212; a quick check that turns into 20 minutes, a habit that slowly takes more time than it should. I&#8217;ve realized I want to be more present. More intentional. Less distracted.</p><p>Less screen time. More real time.</p><p>More focus on Jasper, my partner, my health &#8212; even just getting back to basics like movement and routine. Somewhere along the way, I stopped tracking those things as closely. It&#8217;s time to bring that back.</p><p>The end of the week brought some much-needed balance.</p><p>Friday was more about home updates &#8212; getting a new fan installed and continuing to improve the space around us. But Saturday was the highlight. Jasper&#8217;s grandma returned from Arizona, and we spent time at her place &#8212; playing, walking, just being together.</p><p>Jasper and I even got in a morning hike and a solid nap &#8212; a rare and perfect combo.</p><p>My partner baked special cookies while catching up with her family in India, and we wrapped the day getting new outfits ready for Vaisakhi at temple. It felt like one of those full, meaningful days you wish you could bottle up.</p><p>Sunday at the gurudwara was beautiful &#8212; a great ceremony, great energy, and a strong sense of community.</p><p>But later that day, something unexpected hit me &#8212; the <strong>Sunday scaries</strong>.</p><p>Not just the usual end-of-weekend feeling, but something heavier tied to work. A realization that the current pace, the current setup&#8230; it&#8217;s not sustainable.</p><p>And that&#8217;s probably the biggest takeaway from the week.</p><p>This next stretch isn&#8217;t just about getting through it.</p><p>It&#8217;s about taking control &#8212; before the days start running faster than the life I&#8217;m trying to build.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Burnout to Balance]]></title><description><![CDATA[Twelve straight days, a reset weekend, and stepping into Vaisakhi with perspective.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/burnout-to-balance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/burnout-to-balance</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:02:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2ae16d65-a198-4ddf-a54f-b2d8753a34b9_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With the start of Q2 &#8212; and coming off a full weekend of work &#8212; the week began on a bit of a sour note. What carried over quickly turned into long days at the desk, and by the end of it, my back was feeling every hour I had put in. After 12 straight days of work, I was hitting that wall &#8212; mentally and physically burnt out.</p><p>That said, there was one big upside to all the extra work &#8212; our home project kept moving forward. The great room finally got painted, and seeing that come together made the long hours feel a little more worth it. It&#8217;s always rewarding when the effort shows up somewhere tangible.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>So going into the weekend, I made a simple decision: no work, just Jasper.</p><p>And honestly, it was exactly what I needed.</p><p>We spent the weekend doing what toddlers do best &#8212; moving nonstop. Up, down, playing, laughing, repeating. No desk, no laptop, just being present. Even my back started to feel better just from stepping away and getting moving again.</p><p>Saturday stood out. After his nap, we made it to the park and ended up walking nearly three miles through muddy trails from the recent rain. Not exactly planned, but those are usually the best moments &#8212; just me and the little man exploring, no rush, no agenda.</p><p>Sunday brought us back to the gurudwara. It was good to be there, surrounded by familiar faces, especially with Vaisakhi right around the corner. You could feel the energy building &#8212; a mix of community, reflection, and celebration.</p><p>After a week that pushed me to the edge, this weekend pulled me back.</p><p>A reminder that sometimes the reset isn&#8217;t complicated &#8212; it&#8217;s just stepping away, moving your body, and spending time with the people who matter most.</p><p>And as we step into Vaisakhi this week, it feels like the right time to reset and refocus.</p><p>To all my Punjabi readers &#8212; Happy Vaisakhi. Wishing you a joyful celebration and a strong season ahead. &#127806;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Easter Weekend and the Turn into Q2]]></title><description><![CDATA[Egg hunts, family moments, and a full weekend closing out Q1.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/easter-weekend-and-the-turn-into</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/easter-weekend-and-the-turn-into</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:06:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/58f45c65-c89a-4bc7-adf0-11d4dc41ed14_1024x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What a weekend &#8212; Easter and the close of Q1 2026 all packed into a few short days.</p><p>Jasper had an amazing 3-day weekend. I wish I could say Mom and Dad got to fully enjoy it with him, but between split shifts of work and parenting, Friday especially felt long. A mix of playing, working, and trying to keep everything moving. I even had to put in some extra hours over the weekend to make up for it &#8212; but overall, happy with how things turned out.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Friday wrapped up with Jasper&#8217;s second Easter egg hunt at Majestic Meadows here in Ohio. Such a fun experience, especially getting to see him with the Easter Bunny. His first hunt was actually Thursday at school, which my partner got to enjoy with him &#8212; one of those moments you&#8217;re glad someone was there to experience.</p><p>The third and final egg hunt came Sunday morning before heading to the gurudwara. A full weekend of chasing eggs, smiles, and a lot of toddler energy.</p><p>Saturday brought his 2-year checkup &#8212; and all great news. Healthy, growing, and best of all&#8230; no shots. A win for everyone involved.</p><p>Sunday was one of those days that really shows how connected everything is for us. After temple, we watched my aunt sing in her church choir for Easter while calling Jasper&#8217;s grandparents in India so they could be part of it too. Different places, different traditions, all coming together in one moment.</p><p>Then it was back to reality &#8212; cleaning the house and getting ready for the next home project. Always something.</p><p>It was a full, busy, meaningful weekend. And now, as we turn the page into Q2, I&#8217;m looking forward to a slightly slower start before things ramp up again.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The “No” Phase and Not Quite 100%]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lingering sickness, first real steps, and a busy toddler who refuses to stay still&#8212;finding rhythm again in the middle of it all.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/the-no-phase-and-not-quite-100</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/the-no-phase-and-not-quite-100</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:55:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e4e75d3f-4c60-4e93-93a1-4fa1e5931d48_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This illness is still lingering &#8212; honestly one of the longest stretches I&#8217;ve dealt with in a few years. I&#8217;m feeling better, but both my partner and I are still trying to fully shake it. It&#8217;s that in-between phase where you&#8217;re functioning&#8230; but not quite 100%.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jasper is leveling up in real time.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>This week, he really found the word &#8220;no.&#8221; And he&#8217;s using it with confidence &#128517;. His vocabulary &#8212; switching between Punjabi and English &#8212; is honestly impressive for his age. You can see his personality starting to come through more and more with every word.</p><p>Even better, he&#8217;s finally walking more consistently. After spending so much time getting around on his knees (which, as a parent, was tough to watch), seeing him up and moving feels like a huge win. It&#8217;s a reminder of how quickly these little transitions happen.</p><p>We&#8217;ve also officially entered the phase where staying home all day is no longer an option. Jasper needs movement, stimulation, something. So Saturday turned into a full outing &#8212; the Indian grocery store, the mall, and a walk all in one day. By the end of it, we were completely drained.</p><p>After a bit of house cleaning, we finally sat down for a movie night. This week&#8217;s pick was Joe&#8217;s College Road Trip. It gave us a few laughs, and yes &#8212; before anyone asks &#8212; Jasper was already in bed for that one.</p><p>We wrapped the weekend the way we&#8217;re trying to do more consistently now, with a trip to the gurudwara on Sunday. There&#8217;s something about being there that slows everything down, especially during this time. We&#8217;re currently in the month of Chet, now day 16, a period that naturally brings more reflection and focus.</p><p>This week wasn&#8217;t about big milestones or major events. It was about pushing through illness, watching small but meaningful growth, and finding rhythm again &#8212; one day at a time.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Post-Birthday Plunge]]></title><description><![CDATA[After the balloons and cake, our house took on the toddler cold circuit.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/the-post-birthday-plunge</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/the-post-birthday-plunge</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:21:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5b701100-25aa-48c0-b99a-7f602a545f8c_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The week after Jasper&#8217;s big two-year birthday celebration turned out to be a lot less about race cars and a lot more about tissues and tea.</p><p>Like most toddlers who spend their weekdays in daycare, Jasper occasionally brings home a little &#8220;souvenir&#8221; from his friends &#8212; usually in the form of a cold. This week it felt like the germs made a full lap through the entire house.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>It started with my partner losing her voice late last week at temple. Unfortunately, she had a big week at work ahead of her and didn&#8217;t really have the luxury of slowing down. She pushed through meetings, responsibilities, and everything else that comes with the workweek while trying to recover. Watching someone operate on half a voice while juggling work and family life is impressive in its own way.</p><p>Then it was my turn.</p><p>By midweek I hit a wall harder than I have in a long time. I realized pretty quickly this wasn&#8217;t just a light cold. I was as sick as I&#8217;ve been in probably three years. The kind of sickness where even the simplest tasks feel like a full workout. It made for a long week, especially when work and parenting responsibilities don&#8217;t exactly pause just because you feel terrible.</p><p>It was one of those weeks where you just focus on getting through the day &#8212; lots of rest when possible, plenty of fluids, and the slow realization that sometimes your body just forces you to reset whether you planned for it or not.</p><p>Thankfully, by the weekend things started to turn the corner.</p><p>Saturday was the first day we finally felt well enough to get out of the house. Nothing major &#8212; just a simple trip to the park and a stop at the store &#8212; but after being inside most of the week it felt like a big victory. Fresh air, a little sunshine, and watching Jasper run around again was exactly what everyone needed.</p><p>Sunday brought us back to the gurudwara, which felt like the perfect way to close out the week. After the chaos of sickness and the nonstop rhythm of life, taking time for reflection and meditation helped reset things mentally. Sometimes you need that quiet moment to step back, breathe, and appreciate the fact that even the tough weeks eventually pass.</p><p>This wasn&#8217;t the kind of challenge you plan for &#8212; no big events, no celebrations, just the reality of a household fighting through illness at the same time.</p><p>But like most things in parenting and family life, we got through it together.</p><p>And hopefully this week, the only thing Jasper brings home from daycare&#8230; is artwork.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Race Cars, Remembrance, and Two Fast Years]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sikh New Year reflections, a wild toddler birthday bash, and the start of Jasper&#8217;s next lap.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/race-cars-remembrance-and-two-fast</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/race-cars-remembrance-and-two-fast</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:43:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f3172744-1b3e-464d-bf58-3853c0bc1bed_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This past week felt like a perfect mix of reflection, celebration, and a little bit of chaos &#8212; which, if you have a toddler, probably sounds about right.</p><p>Friday marked Sikh New Year&#8217;s Eve and the start of the month of Chet, a time of remembrance and reflection. It&#8217;s always a meaningful moment in the year. Before the balloons and race cars took over the house, there was a quiet appreciation for what the past year has meant for our family. Jasper&#8217;s first full year of life came with a lot of learning, a lot of growth, and more memories than I could ever write down in a single post.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>But of course&#8230; reflection didn&#8217;t last long.</p><p>Because Saturday was the big race car birthday bash for our newly minted two-year-old.</p><p>And like any good racing event, there were a few unexpected pit stops along the way.</p><p>The house was packed with balloons, friends, and the kind of toddler excitement that only a room full of toy cars and birthday cake can generate. At one point we even had a power outage, which felt like the universe testing the durability of a toddler birthday party. Food was delayed, lights flickered, and for a moment I thought the whole party might stall out before the green flag.</p><p>But somehow it all came together.</p><p>Kids ran around, adults laughed, and Jasper soaked it all in like the little superstar he is. Watching him race toy cars across the floor, surrounded by friends and family, it was hard not to think about how quickly these two years have flown by. One minute you&#8217;re bringing a newborn home from the hospital, the next minute you&#8217;re hosting a race-car themed birthday party and wondering how your toddler learned to run so fast.</p><p>Sunday slowed things back down again.</p><p>We returned to temple for a long service to mark the beginning of the new month and a day of remembrance. Sitting there, it felt like the right way to close the weekend &#8212; reflecting on the full journey of Jasper&#8217;s first year while also stepping into the excitement of year two.</p><p>Year one was about learning the world.</p><p>Year two? I have a feeling it&#8217;s going to be about exploring it at full speed.</p><p>And if this weekend was any indication&#8230; I might want to keep my running shoes ready. &#127950;&#65039;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Steady Weeks and Growing Excitement]]></title><description><![CDATA[A productive stretch at work, eleven years of marriage to reflect on, and the anticipation building as Jasper&#8217;s birthday and Sikh New Year approach. &#127881;]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/steady-weeks-and-growing-excitement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/steady-weeks-and-growing-excitement</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:45:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/82c2774b-bf4d-49da-abfc-0f7141dc56cb_1536x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It was a productive week in the office, even if nothing particularly dramatic stood out. The kind of week where you move things forward, check off the important items, and keep the momentum going. Sometimes those steady weeks are the ones that quietly matter the most.</p><p>Jasper had a great week at school. His energy and curiosity seem to grow by the day, and right now everything feels like an adventure for him. With his birthday party just days away, the excitement is building for our fast and curious little guy. This year, just like before, his birthday lines up with Sikh New Year &#8212; which makes the celebration feel even more meaningful.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>This past week also marked a very special milestone for me personally: eleven years since I married my partner in India. It&#8217;s amazing how quickly time moves. Looking back at that moment and seeing where life has taken us since &#8212; a home, a son, two cultures woven together &#8212; it&#8217;s something I&#8217;m deeply grateful for.</p><p>The time change over the weekend definitely made things a little rough. Losing that hour always hits harder than expected, especially with a toddler who doesn&#8217;t believe in adjusting his internal clock. Still, we managed to keep the rhythm of the weekend moving.</p><p>Link got his haircut and is looking sharp again &#8212; always a small but satisfying reset around the house.</p><p>And as we often try to do, we made it to temple on Sunday. It&#8217;s a grounding way to close out the week and start the next one with a little perspective.</p><p>Now all eyes turn toward Jasper&#8217;s big birthday celebration. Hard to believe another year has already come around. &#127874;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Building, Generations, and Guidance]]></title><description><![CDATA[A week of quiet career growth, four generations in one room, and returning to the gurudwara seeking clarity for what&#8217;s next.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/building-generations-and-guidance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/building-generations-and-guidance</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:05:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7fff7679-efb0-4935-b4a2-5d4f55a844f9_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Work felt experimental this week &#8212; in a good way. With my manager on the road, there was a little more room to stretch. I found myself back in builder mode, doing some coding in Salesforce and Python while also knocking out a few meaningful goals. It&#8217;s satisfying when you can both learn and deliver at the same time. Those are the weeks that remind me I still enjoy figuring things out.</p><p>Jasper had a full week back at daycare. By Friday, you could see it on him &#8212; the kind of tired that only comes from nonstop excitement. New activities, friends, routines. He&#8217;s growing into his little world more every week, and it&#8217;s amazing to watch&#8230; even if it means early bedtimes and slower evenings to recharge.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Sunday was my grandmother&#8217;s birthday &#8212; 90+ years young. On Saturday, Jasper made a surprise visit to see his great grandma. His only one. Watching those two generations meet in the same room is something I don&#8217;t take lightly. There&#8217;s history there. Legacy. A quiet reminder of how quickly time moves and how special it is to have four generations able to sit together.</p><p>Saturday night, dad stepped out to celebrate one of my best friend&#8217;s wife&#8217;s birthdays. It was good to see old friends, laugh a little louder than usual, and remember versions of life before diapers and daycare schedules. Meanwhile, mom stayed home with Jasper &#8212; choosing rest (as much as a toddler allows). Balance isn&#8217;t always even, but we try to give each other space when we can.</p><p>Sunday marked our return to the gurudwara for the start of March. It felt grounding. There are some bigger discussions happening in our lives right now &#8212; decisions, direction, next steps. Sitting there, I felt guided. Not rushed. Just reminded that growth doesn&#8217;t always come from pushing harder. Sometimes it comes from listening more closely.</p><p>A week of building, celebrating, reconnecting, and reflecting. Busy &#8212; but meaningful.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Building in Two Worlds]]></title><description><![CDATA[Career crossroads, ice festival Saturdays, and learning to grow at home and abroad &#8212; without losing the moments that matter.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/building-in-two-worlds</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/building-in-two-worlds</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:05:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7656621b-b3b7-439d-8cc2-97a6ddbe6104_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After a fun Presidents&#8217; Day with Jasper &#8212; just daddy duty since my partner had to work &#8212; the week moved fast. Monday felt simple. Slow morning. Extra cuddles. No rush out the door. Those rare weekdays where you realize how different time feels when you&#8217;re not chasing the clock.</p><p>By Tuesday, it was right back to reality.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Work has been on my mind a lot lately. I&#8217;ve been thinking about what the next version of my 9&#8211;5 looks like. After spending the past few years in sales operations, I feel the pull back toward marketing &#8212; the creative side, the strategy, the storytelling. Sales ops sharpened me. It made me more analytical and structured. But marketing is where I feel most energized. Now the question is whether I can evolve my role internally or if a bigger leap is needed. Growth is exciting&#8230; but it carries weight when you&#8217;re building for more than just yourself.</p><p>Saturday we bundled up and headed to the town square for the ice festival. It was the kind of cold that makes you question why you left the house in the first place. But Jasper didn&#8217;t care. He just wanted to explore. The ice sculptures, the lights, the movement &#8212; everything was magic to him. We grabbed popcorn to keep our hands warm, and for a few minutes, I forgot about career transitions and contractor calls and just watched him take it all in.</p><p>The weekend also brought another layer of adulthood: new furniture delivered to the house. It felt symbolic. We&#8217;re finally investing more intentionally into our home here in the U.S. &#8212; making it ours. At the same time, we&#8217;re coordinating paint and road work at the house in India. Managing contractors across time zones. Balancing budgets in two places. Building in two countries at once.</p><p>It&#8217;s rewarding. It&#8217;s stressful. It&#8217;s stretching us.</p><p>Some days it feels like I&#8217;m living multiple roles at once &#8212; dad, husband, professional in transition, homeowner in two hemispheres. But maybe this season isn&#8217;t about having it perfectly balanced. Maybe it&#8217;s about learning to carry more &#8212; and still stay present.</p><p>Busy week. Big thoughts. Full heart.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[In the Middle of the Busy]]></title><description><![CDATA[Early Valentine&#8217;s moments, temple milestones, and finding meaning in the everyday rhythm of dad life.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/in-the-middle-of-the-busy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/in-the-middle-of-the-busy</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:05:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/094be335-7f7c-4e61-acc2-78d5a24d45a6_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It was a full four days &#8212; the kind where daycare drop-offs blend into work deadlines and the calendar feels tight. Valentine&#8217;s came a day early for us this year. Manicures, pedicures, a long lunch with my partner, and a little shopping for new clothes. It felt good to pause and be intentional &#8212; to remember that before we were parents juggling schedules, we were just us.</p><p>Saturday brunch with my aunt on the actual Valentine&#8217;s Day felt meaningful too. Since we had celebrated the day before, it was nice to spend that time with her &#8212; slowing down, talking, sharing a meal. A reminder that love shows up in different forms and different seasons.</p><p>And then there&#8217;s the baby &#8212; officially on a walking spree. Watching him walk across temple on Sunday, small steps but so determined, stopped me for a moment. These are the milestones you don&#8217;t realize are milestones until they&#8217;re happening right in front of you.</p><p>Monday brings no daycare, which means dad duty while mom works. It&#8217;s tiring, yes &#8212; but it&#8217;s also time I won&#8217;t get back. Car rides, small adventures, breaking up his day however I can. In the middle of the busy, I&#8217;m trying to be present. Because the weeks are full &#8212; but so is the heart.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dashboards, Dhaba Chai, and Dad Duties]]></title><description><![CDATA[A birthday grind, a new suit run, temple reset, and gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday &#127944;]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/dashboards-dhaba-chai-and-dad-duties</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/dashboards-dhaba-chai-and-dad-duties</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:02:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/982947a3-df39-4fe9-9ce5-4d6d3974bf48_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This past week felt like a nonstop Power BI marathon &#8212; late nights, dashboards everywhere, and my brain permanently stuck in &#8220;refreshing data&#8221; mode. We pushed hard, delivered real results, and by the end of it I was equal parts proud and completely cooked.</p><p>Wednesday was especially wild &#8212; a long work night that also happened to be my birthday. I joked that I was trying to stay awake until the exact minute I was born&#8230; and honestly, I almost did. Not exactly how I planned to celebrate, but when work calls, it really calls.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Saturday evening slowed things down in the best way. We stopped at a cozy tea shop near the Indian grocery, sat down, and just took a breath with good chai before heading out to pick up my new suit. From there we walked into the Indian store &#8212; familiar smells, snacks, and that comforting chaos of aisles that feel like home. After such a hectic week, it was surprisingly grounding.</p><p>Sunday started at temple. Being back together there, after everything, felt peaceful &#8212; a real reset. A reminder of gratitude, patience, and perspective, which I definitely needed after the week I had. There&#8217;s something about that space that slows your mind even when life refuses to.</p><p>And now we land on Super Bowl Sunday. I&#8217;ll be supporting my extended family and cheering on the Seattle Seahawks this year, hoping the results go our way. No matter the score, it feels good to end the week at home, together, full &#8212; in every sense of the word.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Five Plows and a Prayer]]></title><description><![CDATA[When your week starts with snow and ends at baggage claim.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/five-plows-and-a-prayer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/five-plows-and-a-prayer</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 17:10:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/776c4e95-1638-447b-af86-627b57a47ae4_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This past week tested me in just about every way a winter week in Ohio can. It started with a monster snowstorm that dumped 16 inches on us, which meant five rounds of plowing just to make the driveway workable. By the time I finally cleared enough space to function, I had to pivot straight into travel mode for a work trip to Delray Beach, Florida.</p><p>What followed felt like a small endurance event rather than a business trip.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I booked the flights with plenty of cushion because, well, it&#8217;s winter. But even the best-laid plans don&#8217;t always cooperate. We left Cleveland late, which chopped my 2.5-hour layover in Chicago down to about one hour. Then we got stuck on the tarmac trying to get to our gate, and just like that, my buffer disappeared. I found myself sprinting through O&#8217;Hare like I was trying out for a reality show called &#8220;Miss Your Flight or Else.&#8221;</p><p>Somehow, I made it. They were still unloading, so I breathed for about five seconds. Then&#8212;maintenance issue. That delay pushed my arrival back so much that what should have been a normal travel day turned into over 12 hours door to door. Between that and my recent American Airlines saga in India, I think we might need a temporary separation.</p><p>Once I finally made it to Florida, the trip itself was&#8230; complicated. It was genuinely great to see our sales team and connect with people I respect, but the overall energy of the event just didn&#8217;t match last year. I wasn&#8217;t alone in feeling that way. Sometimes hype doesn&#8217;t land the way it&#8217;s supposed to, and that was definitely the case here.</p><p>The highlight of the week ended up being Charles Clark&#8217;s motivational talk, which says a lot. He was excellent&#8212;but when the motivational speaker is the best part of a product-focused event, you know something felt a little off.</p><p>Thankfully, United came through on the way home. The return trip was smoother, faster, and far less dramatic. I made it back and was in bed by 11 p.m., which felt like a small miracle given how the week started.</p><p>But honestly, none of the travel or work stress compares to the biggest thing weighing on me this week: missing my partner and Jasper. The house has been quiet in a way that feels too empty. No toddler footsteps, no shared chaos, no little moments that remind me why I work so hard in the first place. Just me, the dog, snow, and my thoughts.</p><p>And in that quiet, I&#8217;ve gained a deeper appreciation for everything my partner does&#8212;especially around our home. Managing a career and keeping life running smoothly is no small thing. Holding down both roles while she&#8217;s overseas made that crystal clear.</p><p>The silver lining? They&#8217;re finally on their way back. Right now they&#8217;re in Abu Dhabi, and tomorrow I get to pick them up from the airport. I&#8217;ve spent the weekend cleaning, organizing, and getting the house ready&#8212;not because it had to be perfect, but because I want them to walk back into a space that feels warm, welcoming, and loved.</p><p>So as exhausting as this week has been, it&#8217;s ending exactly how I needed it to&#8212;with my family coming home.</p><p>The Dad Diary is about to return to its main storyline: Jasper, laughter, and a full house again.</p><p>And I can&#8217;t wait.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Snowed In, Headed Out]]></title><description><![CDATA[Missing Jasper, buried in work, and packing for a flight the day winter chose violence]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/snowed-in-headed-out</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/snowed-in-headed-out</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:23:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f6261f45-e1c1-4fef-a2c7-5c0cf6a19cf3_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some weeks feel louder than others, even when the house is quiet.</p><p>This one has been a mix of missing Jasper in a way that sneaks up on you, the kind where you catch yourself listening for little footsteps that aren&#8217;t there. Work has been heavy, long hours stacked on long days, and just as I start to get my footing, a work trip pops up on the calendar. Because of course it does.</p><p>Then today decided to add its own twist: 16 inches of snow&#8230; the day before my flight. Shoveling, checking flight updates, and laughing a little at the timing because what else can you do. Somewhere between the snowblower and another work email, it hit me how much easier all of this feels when Jasper is here. The chaos is louder, but the heart feels fuller.</p><p>This is one of those Dad Diary weeks. Grinding through work, staring down travel, battling winter, and counting the days until I get my boy back. One foot in front of the other. Always forward.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Carrying the Load]]></title><description><![CDATA[Finding the Direction]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/carrying-the-load</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/carrying-the-load</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:10:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cbea7a96-3b4f-4c81-a053-5fa969f1b097_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This past week turned into one of those stretches where work quietly takes over everything. It started with three hours on Sunday and rolled straight into long days that flirted with burnout by the end of the week. Martin Luther King Jr. Day came at the perfect time, both as a reminder of what he stood for and as a much-needed pause to reset. I came back from India knowing a demanding stretch was ahead, but knowing doesn&#8217;t always make it easier when you&#8217;re in the middle of it.</p><p>The week also threw my routine off physically. Between travel recovery and some tough atmospheric changes, I missed a few workouts and definitely felt it. Thankfully, I&#8217;m starting to feel better. I managed to get some cardio in on Saturday and spent Monday cleaning the house, which turned out to be more humbling than expected.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>That cleaning session really opened my eyes. With my partner still overseas with Jasper, I&#8217;ve been handling both work and home, and I gained a whole new level of appreciation for what she does. In many places overseas, it&#8217;s common for women to manage the home while men focus on work. My partner has never fit into that box. She&#8217;s built a successful career and still somehow keeps our home running smoothly. Even without Jasper here, I can&#8217;t match her level of detail or consistency. She continues to amaze me in ways I probably didn&#8217;t fully recognize before.</p><p>I also spent some time outside doing snow removal, battling brutal winds that made winter feel extra long. Spring can&#8217;t come soon enough.</p><p>Being without my partner for this extended stretch has given me a lot of quiet time to think. About decisions, about direction, and about what&#8217;s next. I don&#8217;t have all the answers, and honestly, none of us really do. But with 39 not far off and 40 closer than it feels, I know change is coming, and it will start before that next decade arrives. I hope you&#8217;ll stick around, follow along, and join me for wherever this road leads next.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quiet House, Loud Heart]]></title><description><![CDATA[Another week of work, dad jokes, and counting the days until home feels full again]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/quiet-house-loud-heart</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/quiet-house-loud-heart</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:33:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ebd5bc56-046b-423e-8814-221aeadd7cf4_1536x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The second full week back at work is in the books, and it&#8217;s been another quiet one. Without Jasper or my partner around, the house feels extra empty&#8212;like someone hit the mute button on life. The dog is holding things down, though. Solid listener. Terrible conversationalist.</p><p>This week did come with some excitement thanks to the crazy wind storms. We played it safe and spent Friday night at my mom&#8217;s house for dinner. The plan was to hang out and watch the Indiana vs. Oregon game&#8230; but since it turned into a blowout early, we called it a night and headed home. No need to risk flying patio furniture and bad football.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Saturday was all about laying low&#8212;relaxing, cleaning the house, and catching up on the things you ignore when life is loud. No big plans, but honestly, it felt good to just reset for a day.</p><p>Sunday, I met my aunt for lunch&#8212;currently the only family member within an hour of my house. We ended up at the same restaurant where my partner and I had our American wedding reception about 11.5 years ago. Great fish sandwich. Strong nostalgia. Definitely didn&#8217;t help with the missing-them part.</p><p>Work has already been busy Sunday and Monday, and I expect more of the same this week. It&#8217;s a different kind of grind when you come home to quiet instead of toys on the floor and a toddler running the house.</p><p>Still showing up. Still moving forward. And still counting down the days until the noise, chaos, and joy come back home&#8212;because even though I joke about it, being a dad doesn&#8217;t come with an &#8220;away game&#8221; mode&#8230; you just keep playing until the home team returns.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Finding My Rhythm Again]]></title><description><![CDATA[Goals, growth, and starting 2026 from a distance.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/finding-my-rhythm-again</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/finding-my-rhythm-again</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:40:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6c5dc2d1-4859-43fa-9c35-9c6951a475b8_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This past week marked my first full week back home from India. I&#8217;m still recovering from the travel and definitely missing my time there, but I&#8217;m slowly settling back into routine. The next month feels important&#8212;a window to reset, refocus, and make some changes before my partner and Jasper return home.</p><p>New Year&#8217;s without Jasper was harder than I expected. It didn&#8217;t fully hit me until the morning of January 1, 2026, realizing I couldn&#8217;t wake him up to start the new year together. That moment stung more than I thought it would.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>The 90 Day Hard challenge officially wrapped up, and while the results weren&#8217;t dramatic, I do consider it a success. I briefly saw the 160s on the scale again, but with international travel, that wasn&#8217;t a number I could realistically maintain. One win I&#8217;m proud of: I finished The Daily Dad, which has officially earned a spot on our bookshelf. More importantly, the challenge reignited my passion for the gym and staying active. I&#8217;ve been lifting more consistently and genuinely enjoying the process again.</p><p>The new year really does feel like a &#8220;new you&#8221; moment. I&#8217;m setting new goals and laying the groundwork for what&#8217;s next&#8212;more to come on that soon.</p><p>One thing that felt grounding this week was returning to the gurdwara. Being back at temple brought a sense of calm and familiarity that I didn&#8217;t realize I needed so much. And to top it off, I got a call from Jasper&#8212;one of those moments that instantly makes the distance feel a little smaller.</p><p>Slowly finding my rhythm again, one day at a time.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Three Days Home]]></title><description><![CDATA[Finding discipline, family, and purpose between airports and empty houses.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/three-days-home</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/three-days-home</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:55:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/dce96ccc-2c06-4509-ab5e-af06c416d568_1536x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The trip to India was nothing short of incredible. Every state I spent time in brought new experiences, memories, and reminders of why this place holds such a special meaning to me. From the food to the people to the pace of life, it filled my cup in ways I didn&#8217;t fully realize I needed.</p><p>Getting back, however, was a journey of a very different kind.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I flew out of Lucknow, and a 1 hour and 30 minute delay quickly snowballed into a missed connection in Delhi. What followed was almost a full day spent inside the Delhi airport before finally catching my flight back to New York. All in, the return trip stretched into nearly three full days. Exhausting? Absolutely. But eventually, I made it home&#8212;and sometimes that&#8217;s the win.</p><p>Since returning, it&#8217;s been about resetting. I came back about five pounds heavier (India will do that to you), but I&#8217;ve been putting in the work&#8212;dialing back in on diet, getting consistent in the gym, and focusing on discipline while my partner and Jasper are still overseas.</p><p>That part has been the hardest. Being away from the people who ground you and motivate you daily really tests you. I miss Jasper and my partner more than I can put into words. At the same time, this stretch has pushed me to grow in ways I didn&#8217;t expect&#8212;to sit with discomfort, to stay focused, and to keep building even when support looks different.</p><p>One bright spot has been getting quality time with my parents over the Christmas holiday. Those moments don&#8217;t get taken for granted anymore. They head out on Monday, so that chapter is closing quickly, but I&#8217;m grateful for every minute.</p><p>Now, I&#8217;m ready. Ready for the next project, the next challenge, and the next opportunity to make something meaningful out of this season. Sometimes growth happens loud and fast&#8212;and sometimes it happens quietly, in the waiting.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wide Awake in a Quiet World]]></title><description><![CDATA[Missing my little travel partner on the other side of the clock.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/wide-awake-in-a-quiet-world</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/wide-awake-in-a-quiet-world</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 16:36:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7ba0560a-8a9b-4dc3-833d-0f6657027e6f_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jet lag is a strange thing. Your body is exhausted, your mind is wide awake, and the world around you feels like it&#8217;s holding its breath. It&#8217;s late here. Or early. Honestly, I&#8217;m not even sure anymore. What I do know is that for the first time in this whole trip&#8230; I&#8217;m alone.</p><p>No little footsteps.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>No early-morning babble.</p><p>No tiny hand reaching for mine.</p><p>Just silence.</p><p>I didn&#8217;t realize how loud Jasper had become in my life until the noise disappeared. His laughs, his cries, his random bursts of energy at the exact moment I&#8217;m running on fumes &#8212; all of it has become the rhythm of my days. And tonight, that rhythm is missing.</p><p>The irony is wild. I traveled halfway across the world, crossed time zones, cultures, and oceans&#8230; and somehow the biggest distance I feel is the few rooms &#8212; or few miles &#8212; between me and my son right now.</p><p>I&#8217;m proud of him. I miss him. Both can be true.</p><p>Jet lag keeps my eyes open, but it&#8217;s my heart that feels wide awake &#8212; replaying his smile, his voice, the way he says nothing at all and still says everything. I keep telling myself this moment of quiet is temporary. That soon the noise will come back. The beautiful, exhausting, chaotic noise that only a toddler can create.</p><p>Until then, I&#8217;ll sit here in the dark, tired but grateful.</p><p>Because missing him like this only proves how full my life is with him in it.</p><p>Sleep will come eventually.</p><p>Jasper always makes sure of that.</p><p>You can see the first time this happened here:</p><div class="digest-post-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;nodeId&quot;:&quot;f046ef5b-eb00-48e2-b96e-46956a49548f&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;A Reflection on My First Business Trip Away from Jasper:&quot;,&quot;cta&quot;:&quot;Read full story&quot;,&quot;showBylines&quot;:true,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;lg&quot;,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Miles Apart, Heart Always Home&quot;,&quot;publishedBylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:144232824,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;David Banig Jr&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;At 38, and father of 1, I aim to create a global community for partners to share insights. Thriving in a multi-faith, multi-cultural relationship, I aspire to contribute to collective growth.&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae3da560-f35b-469c-bc24-405d31c81cbc_3024x4032.jpeg&quot;,&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null}],&quot;post_date&quot;:&quot;2025-02-04T18:06:38.727Z&quot;,&quot;cover_image&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/27fc1838-932a-4061-997e-487ba14207ae_1024x1024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;cover_image_alt&quot;:null,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/p/miles-apart-heart-always-home&quot;,&quot;section_name&quot;:null,&quot;video_upload_id&quot;:null,&quot;id&quot;:156258883,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;reaction_count&quot;:0,&quot;comment_count&quot;:0,&quot;publication_id&quot;:2178301,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;The Dad Diary&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PMgB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf6e1f17-2e4c-46fe-a5da-ee1cb205e22b_1080x1080.png&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;youtube_url&quot;:null,&quot;show_links&quot;:null,&quot;feed_url&quot;:null}"></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Across the World with My Son]]></title><description><![CDATA[How India is teaching us both to slow down and look closer.]]></description><link>https://www.dadiary.com/p/across-the-world-with-my-son</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.dadiary.com/p/across-the-world-with-my-son</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Banig Jr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:11:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1bede1a6-d3e0-4f2d-92b0-fda2bb60e047_1024x1536.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#127470;&#127475; Somewhere Between Jet Lag and Magic</p><p>India doesn&#8217;t ease you in &#8212; it welcomes you all at once.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>The colors are brighter.</p><p>The sounds are louder.</p><p>The air feels full of stories.</p><p>And Jasper?</p><p>He&#8217;s taking it all in like he&#8217;s always belonged here.</p><p>From early morning chai steam in the streets to late-night family laughter that needs no translation, this place moves different. Slower in some ways. Faster in others. Every day feels both heavy with history and light with joy.</p><p>Watching my son experience a world so far from the one he knows back home has been humbling. New faces. New food. New rhythms. Same curious eyes. Same fearless little explorer.</p><p>I came here carrying stress from work, travel, and the constant push of life.</p><p>India is gently reminding me how to pause.</p><p>Grateful for this time.</p><p>Grateful for this place.</p><p>Grateful for the memories we&#8217;re building one sensory overload at a time.</p><p>More stories coming soon.</p><p>The Dad Diary: International Edition &#127470;&#127475;&#9992;&#65039;</p><p>Check out our 1st trip on a plane here:</p><div class="digest-post-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;nodeId&quot;:&quot;ee108cf8-518e-4044-8322-99c5046ce991&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Hello from Phoenix! This week marked Jasper&#8217;s first big adventure in the skies, as my partner and I joined my mother in Arizona for a memorable experience. We wanted Jasper to get used to flying with a relatively short trip before taking on a much longer journey to India. The flight itself was eventful, with quite a bit of turbulence&#8212;an experience that &#8230;&quot;,&quot;cta&quot;:&quot;Read full story&quot;,&quot;showBylines&quot;:true,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;lg&quot;,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Journey to the Desert&quot;,&quot;publishedBylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:144232824,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;David Banig Jr&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;At 38, and father of 1, I aim to create a global community for partners to share insights. Thriving in a multi-faith, multi-cultural relationship, I aspire to contribute to collective growth.&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae3da560-f35b-469c-bc24-405d31c81cbc_3024x4032.jpeg&quot;,&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null}],&quot;post_date&quot;:&quot;2024-11-12T20:15:13.388Z&quot;,&quot;cover_image&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c96f1fc1-b423-4786-b85d-c4833e660700_1024x1024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;cover_image_alt&quot;:null,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/p/journey-to-the-desert&quot;,&quot;section_name&quot;:null,&quot;video_upload_id&quot;:null,&quot;id&quot;:151553402,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;reaction_count&quot;:0,&quot;comment_count&quot;:0,&quot;publication_id&quot;:2178301,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;The Dad Diary&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PMgB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faf6e1f17-2e4c-46fe-a5da-ee1cb205e22b_1080x1080.png&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;youtube_url&quot;:null,&quot;show_links&quot;:null,&quot;feed_url&quot;:null}"></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.dadiary.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Dad Diary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>