News & Stories

Over the past 14 years, I’ve participated in triple-digit GORUCK events, both as a participant and/or organizer. I consider all of these events worthwhile, with several that I would call life-changing, and two of which I would classify as perfect....

When it comes to motivation, few embody the spirit of reinvention like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The man has continually redefined himself, transforming from a small-town boy in Austria into a world-class bodybuilder, the iconic Mr. Olympia, a blockbuster movie star, the...

The Mercy Rule (also known by the lesser names of the Slaughter, Knockout, or Skunk Rule) is a concept familiar to kids, parents, and coaches across the nation. My seven-year-old knows what it means, even if it only exists in...

It’s hard to believe it’s been seven months since I first wrote about the dozens of proposed public school closures in my hometown — a list that included my children’s well-attended and beloved Atlantic Beach Elementary. The news of these...

Fun facts: The Eiffel Tower was built a couple years prior to the 1889 Exposition Universelle to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It’s no secret that initial reviews of Gustave Eiffel’s innovative design were mixed; and by...

And yet for all the talk of budgets and numbers, I think what I’m trying to express goes beyond the numbers and our human attempts to live and work and learn together. What value do we place on a neighbor, whose own children have left the nest, painting a tire swing with words of encouragement and love for all who pass by? How does one nurture a student, a family, a school, a community? How do we continue to weave the social fabric of our locally-led lives? 

It’s tough to accept when you are wrong. 

For the past decade, Jason and I have gone round and round about solo screen time for our kids. I argue there is a time and place for it; he wants to banish their iPads to the dumpster. What about when we are trapped in an airport or car with them on long trips? Or when they’ve been playing outside all day and it starts raining and we all want a break? He shrugs and says a version of “it’s a slippery slope and I don’t like it.”

By Emily McCarthy I once knew a guy in college who dove so deep into an intro level philosophy class that he told me he was going to read chapters from Plato’s Republic to his future children. He planned to...

Two years ago right now I was out of sorts. Stressed out, you might say. COVID had suited me just fine, actually — the more chaos around, the calmer I get. I was sleeping fine until I wasn’t. Two years...

By: Mike Roussell, PhD Rucking doesn't just rely on physical strength and mental grit—it also demands smart nutrition. To fuel your body for the miles ahead, you need strategic snacking that goes beyond grabbing a random granola bar. This means...

By Mike Roussell, PhD Hydration is more than just water; it's a delicate balance of electrolytes lost through sweat, especially during demanding activities like prolonged rucking.The amount of electrolytes lost can vary significantly based on factors like heat and individual...

A couple of summers ago, when my oldest child was 9 years old, I decided to push her out of the proverbial nest. No, no, I did not kick her out of the house permanently. I merely informed her that...

“We are literally driving off into the sunset to rescue your GR1.” I said this looking over at Michael Easter, hunched over his phone, trying to get his Find My ____ (insert any lost Apple product) to update. We were...

TL;DR: Tides will change faster than you think. Use a ramp if there is one. When you find yourself mired in the muck, crawl your way out (and other tips on how to escape quicksand below). Our close friends Dan...

By Emily McCarthy These days, it seems like you can’t go too far without hearing about ChatGPT — the latest leap in Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot technology. Depending on who you talk to, reactions to ChatGPT’s ability to identify patterns...

By Emily McCarthy Back when I was young and dumb, I traveled to a North African nation in the summer of 1998 to visit a college friend who was enrolled in an Arabic study abroad program. It was my first...

By Jaala Shaw Relationships build peace. It is very easy to disagree with someone you do not know; to disrespect a culture you’ve never experienced. It is the mission of the United States Peace Corps to build relationships with host...