In a world where we could have just about everything we want at a moment’s notice, we have to pick and choose where we allocate our energy and always remember that while good things are fleeting,

Some days, these newsletters are hard to get out because it feels like I have nothing worthwhile to say, partly because my schedule often looks identical day to day. It’s funny that sometimes, taking my own advice (the small, boring things will compound over time to bring results) is hard. But that’s a me problem!

Today, I get to share a bit of a switchup of my schedule and what I took away from my time away. But first, the first look at Episode 8 of Great Things.

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Bold statements were made while we were filming Episode 8 of Great Things with Jeremy Jacobowitz (Brunch Boys) and Chef Ed Szymanski. Chef Ed made claims that British food is better than American, and Jeremy talked about how seasoning almost got him in trouble in London.

Chef Ed’s story is one that couldn’t be suited better for the Great Things series. He pivoted from the finance world of BlackRock to the culinary industry with almost no chefing skills (he shares he didn’t even know how to hold a knife or chop properly). The restaurant business called him, and he decided if not now, then when? and moved out to NYC to start from the beginning.

In the episode below, Chef Ed takes Jeremy and me through the process to make Lord’s perfect scotch egg, sticky toffee pancakes, and their infamous Welsh rarebit cheeseburger (No, I didn’t spell rabbit wrong, don’t come for me).

I’m definitely bookmarking this episode for days I need a little inspiration, because the trajectory from finance to chef is a good reminder that one can do anything they put their mind to, and do it WELL.

Does this have your tastebuds tingling? You can reserve a table at Lord’s or follow them on Instagram to see what new things Chef Ed is cooking up.

Not familiar with Jeremy and want to learn more about who he is? He’s got his own newsletter and some pretty good insight into the food scene around the world.

Very excited for today’s newsletter as this is one where I allow my freak flag to fly. No, not THAT freak flag, I’m talking about cars. I know for many of you, talking about cars in detail might make you roll your eyes so hard that they’re in danger of getting stuck in the back of your head. But for me, the car world is an integral piece of who I am. Of all the things I share, this one almost feels the most intimate because it is a pastime that I hold very close to my heart.

I am very aware that being a car enthusiast is something that might be judged heavily or considered frivolous, and I get it. But cars have always had a pull on me, and I love to examine them from every angle. From my Uncle’s shop in North Carolina. I’d watch him work on cars; some of them were so complicated that they were a puzzle, and admire the craftsmanship of how they were built. I always dreamed I’d have my own car, and quickly fell in love with the BMW. It seemed like a long shot at the time, a boy from the Bronx who wasn’t exactly rolling in the dough, but I held out hope that one day I’d have my own.

Just like fashion, I think the way people present themselves through their cars is telling. You have the people who are loud and boastful, who need to be seen. The ones who fly under the radar. The ones who seem like nothing special until you get under the hood and start examining things further. I’m sure you all have at least one person who you’ve said, “Yeah, makes sense they drive that car.” 

Side note: You know how they say people start to look like their dogs? Do you think that’s true of cars? 

Working on a car or driving in one is the perfect disconnect for me because it means I’m obligated not to be tied to my phone responding to messages. I mean, it’s literally against the law to be using my phone in most capacities while driving. (No, taking long drives is not a cry for help to avoid responding to my 2,000 unread text messages.)

Whether it’s working on the car or driving, I have to be focused on the task at hand, because being distracted is not acceptable. It allows me to go through my brain with a scrub brush and figure out what’s hiding in there and what needs to be dealt with. (Like the appropriate response when you say my classes are getting easy.)

All this so you understand why I did the 20+ hour drive from NY to FL to attend a week+ of car-centered activities with barely any plan.

This trip to FL was the ultimate luxury to me for one reason: I had time. I took two weeks so that I’d actually feel like I had time to disconnect and not lose out due to travel days, and boy, did that feel like I had already won at life. Each day was a loose plan of food, beach, car things, repeat. Because of the car event in Florida, several of the people in my local car community were down there as well.  

Essentially, it was a whole lot of nothing. Because I wasn’t scheduling things to the minute, it allowed creativity in every aspect to flow through me. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the ultimate luxury is having an open schedule. To know that for a period of time, there are no obligations that are required of you means that you’ve done such a good job at setting the groundwork that you can step away. It’s not always possible due to jobs, family, bills, or anything else that requires regular maintenance and personal touch, but if you can find time to do it, I recommend it. Especially if you ask yourself what you do for fun, having no schedule will help you sort out where you want to spend your time. 

For me, that was cars and an event called Bimmer INVASION. 

So what exactly is a Bimmer? And why are they INVADING?

You’ve probably heard the term used before: worldwide, “bimmer” is the original and most widely used nickname for a BMW car, with “beamer” being first used for BMW motorcycles. Now, they are pretty interchangeable, so if you’re looking to infiltrate a car show and need to use the appropriate slang, this will help you fly under the radar

So there is no confusion: Bimmer as in dimmer, as in, you should always shoot for big, bright goals, never let anyone convince you to pick ones that are dimmer.

If you hit up the Bimmer INVASION  website, you can see it started like so many Great Things: “Invasion was a thought that became reality.” It truly was that, a group of people who wanted to get together and talk about the blood, sweat, and tears that go into people’s cars. 

With no official car brand affiliations, Bimmer INVASION has grown so much, I consider it like the Super Bowl, ahem, that really big football game for BMW lovers. This recent event in Florida had over 1200 participants who were sharing the stories behind their cars or were curious about someone’s build. 

In my opinion, it’s a place filled with so much happiness. It’s just a sea of people talking about their passions with like-minded individuals and exploring them further. It wasn’t about whose car was better, faster, fancier, or more expensive; people came from everywhere to share and experience a mutual love

The trip ended for me with the ultimate surprise: winning Best G80, something I owe all to J&B Body Works, who helped me rebuild after my accident. 

It was one of those moments where I wished I could go back in time to talk to boy Adrian, or even young adult Adrian, to detail to him how everything was going to work out. There is so much more to my life right now than driving a cool car, but on days when I am critical of whether I’ve achieved enough, it’s a tangible thing I can trace back to those early days in North Carolina. Just call me Alexander Hamilton, #neversatisfied

The combination of winning an award and spending a week free of almost no schedule meant I was forcing myself to pause and be content with what I have now. I wasn’t thinking about the next thing, how my career is progressing, or what my goals are. I just got to experience the moment and enjoy things and allow myself to be proud of what I’ve built. 

Like last week’s newsletter (the one with the sketchy AirBnb), it goes a bit against the grain of what I was raised to believe: staying humble is important. We’re always taught to continue the hustle and take no days off, and while the compounding nature of that makes sense, when you don’t have a break to enjoy what you’ve built, what’s the point? Am I pushing myself this hard so that my tombstone reads: “Here lies Adrian, he could lift a lot of weight and drove a cool car.”

A reset isn’t a restart. You’re not wiping away everything you’ve done. The pause allows you to fully appreciate everything that has gone into your journey and what has gotten you to your current point. If you’re not taking a moment to appreciate what you’ve built, will you ever?

Sometimes, you just have to stop everything you can and be a do-nothing.

If you only pause to reflect on your life for one moment today, do it now.

I could ask you if you’re able to sit in silence to have a day with no plans, but I’ll start with something that everyone should be able to do:

Your turn! Journal your answer, or if you find yourself sharing the progress of your Great Things on social, tag me at @greatthingswith_adrian so I can join in on cheering you along!

Because no matter what, there is always something to smile about.

More photos to unabashedly share, but it’s the end of the newsletter, so only the real ones are still here.