In this catch-up episode of Generations, Peter and Aubrey return after a whirlwind few weeks. Peter talks about buying a new car (and reluctantly becoming a Toyota RAV4 hybrid owner), while Aubrey shares stories from her Alaskan cruise, her wedding, and all the chaos leading up to it—including marathon-induced detours, anxious pre-wedding jitters, and Mario Kart battles. The two swap laughs, family updates, and wrap with Aubrey geeking out over a black hole that’s devouring suns by the thousands.

Show Notes

Catching up after a break

• Peter and Aubrey talk about why they’ve been away and what’s been going on.
• Peter shares the story of unexpectedly trading in his car for a Toyota RAV4 hybrid.

Aubrey’s three-week whirlwind

• An Alaskan cruise full of hikes, glaciers, wildlife, and a 65-mph zipline adventure.
• Packing stress: wedding dress, cruise gear, and everything else in one massive haul.
• Banana-posing seals, neon moss hikes, and glacier ice crashing into the sea.
• The world’s largest zipline: GoPros, nerves, swearing, and exhilaration.

Wedding chaos & beauty

• Marathon traffic nearly derails the timeline, but the day turns out magical.
• Emotional first look: Hayden cried before even seeing Aubrey.
• Wedding day menu: three meatballs and a slice of cake.
• Reception highlight: Aubrey destroying Hayden at Mario Kart and Smash Bros.

Family weekend

• Following day: Alex’s homecoming talk.
• Coming home to a mountain of wedding gifts.

Final science fact

• Aubrey shares about a supermassive black hole devouring 300–3,000 suns per year.
• Quasars, the Eddington limit, and the wonder of looking billions of years into the past.

In this episode, Peter and Aubrey talk candidly about the stresses they’re facing—Aubrey with last-minute wedding planning and Peter with heavy experiences at work. They explore how decision fatigue, social media comparisons, and secondary trauma weigh on them, and share the small but important ways they cope—from Hayden’s grounded advice and wedding perspective shifts, to Taskmaster marathons, D&D nights, and even Donkey Kong therapy. The conversation circles around what really matters—connection, perspective, and finding moments of relief—and wraps with an astronomy tidbit on the Perseids meteor shower.

Show Notes

• Aubrey shares the whirlwind of last-minute wedding planning: decision fatigue, pressure from TikTok wedding “must-dos,” and the relief of remembering the day is about love, not perfection.
• Peter recalls once joking that he’d hand his kids $10k to elope—and realizing maybe it wasn’t a joke after all.
• Discussion on the stress of endless tiny decisions, and how habits can remove decision fatigue.
• Aubrey’s Vegas bachelor/bachelorette trip recap: pool days, Cirque du Soleil, magic shows, and Costco mac & cheese.
• Reflections on long-distance PTSD—her body still feels like Hayden might “leave for school” even though he’s not.
• Peter opens up about dealing with secondary trauma at work, the kind that lingers in unexpected ways.

Coping strategies:

• Aubrey: limiting social media wedding content, leaning on Hayden, remembering it’s about “us, not me.”
• Peter: staying connected to colleagues and family, seeking low-stakes entertainment (Taskmaster, Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2), taking breaks from heavy books, playing D&D, and finding catharsis in music.
• Reflection on extravagant weddings vs. long marriages—Emory study shows higher costs often linked to shorter marriages.
• A funny cake panic: Aubrey blurts out “raspberry lemon” flavor on the spot, then spirals until Hayden reminds her they can always renew vows in ten years if she still cares.
• Peter talks about scaling back Imperfect Practice’s 30-day challenge plans due to current emotional load—sometimes you need to simplify.
• Closing discussion about transitions: Peter’s son Alex returning from his mission and the challenge of re-adjusting to home life after such a focused purpose.
• Aubrey’s astro fact: the Perseids meteor shower, up to 70 shooting stars an hour, though cloud cover blocked her view this year.

In this episode of Generations, we explore the power of daily habits—both the ones we've nailed down and the ones we’re still working on. From journaling and meditation to supplement rituals and walking routines, we share what helps anchor our days and set the tone for intentional living. Our conversation blends the practical with the personal, touching on sleep struggles, the quest to ditch screens before bed, and the quirks that make each of our routines uniquely their own.

Episode Notes:

• Peter and Aubrey catch up on life—summer swim meets, visits from friends, and family travel.
• Aubrey introduces the topic: daily habits that improve well-being, productivity, and mood.
• Aubrey shares her challenge of not sleeping the day away and the small but powerful shift of waking up with her partner instead of sleeping in.
• Peter discusses his long-standing habit of morning journaling, inspired by the Theme System and tied to his protein shake routine.
• Both reflect on their meditation practices: Peter’s recent consistency using Daily Calm, and Aubrey’s efforts to integrate both day and night sessions.
• They share supplement routines in hilarious and relatable detail—Peter with his towering stack of capsules and efficiency tactics (baby carrots included), and Aubrey with her “sour patch kid reward system.”
• Aubrey gushes about her love of sleepytime tea, and Peter tells a vivid story of how two years in Guatemala ruined hot drinks for him forever.
• Peter shares plans for his Imperfect Practice project, including an upcoming 30-day challenge: no phone in bed, minimal screens before sleep, and new journaling tools.
• Aubrey discusses her goal to wind down with reading instead of screens, and to get consistent with morning walks or treadmill inclines to kick off her day.
• They reflect on James Clear’s Atomic Habits and how tying habits together (like music cues for workouts) can reduce friction.
• Peter compares habits to enzymes—lowering the activation energy required to do good things—and shares practical examples of habit stacking and friction reduction.
• The episode wraps with encouragement to make small changes that matter, and a peek into what’s coming next for Imperfect Practice.

Links:
Imperfect Practice