Another one leaves the Nest

I’m on the road with my eldest son, Gavril (19), a journey that will take us through the Netherlands and then to Bremen, Germany, where he will begin business school at Constructor University. First stop: the Netherlands, where we’ll get his BSN number and prep for life in a new country. Then, on the 25th, I’ll drive him to school. It’s a short 20-minute ride.

But symbolically, it’s a long road.

After that, we part ways. He goes into orientation week. I head back to the Netherlands. That’s the plan. And the moment will hit me like it always does: bittersweet.

I wish I could stay. But I have to go.

This is his time. His show. His path. His destiny.

He chose Germany. This was his decision. His move. His life unfolding.

And I’m just proud I could help make it happen.

A New Journey for All of Us

While Gavril settles into campus life in Bremen, his younger brother Gavin continues to thrive in Paris. A chef in the making. He will soon earn his Diplôme de Cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and then begin a new program at Ferrandi,  a bachelor’s in F&B and hospitality management. Hands-on skills, paired with academic grounding and managerial training.

Chef Gavin is becoming a Parisian.

He lives in Paris, surrounded by French cuisine, immersed in the culture. The calls come less frequently now,  not out of neglect, but because he’s building something of his own. Rooted. Driven. Focused.

His journey. His dream. My quiet joy..

And me, I return to meetings, negotiations, court cases and work. But always with one ear open for that call, that WhatsApp, that email.

That’s fatherhood now. A quiet, permanent readiness.

Eventually, I’ll head home.

To an empty nest,  but not an empty life.

One Companion, and Many Roots

There’s still Tobio, our loyal Boston terrier. Gavril brought him into our lives. Maybe he knew, deep down, that this day would come. That someday he’d leave, and Tobio would stay behind, keeping me grounded in ways no words ever could..

It’s time for Tobio to become my travel companion. My faithful little shadow.

We’ll both feel his/their absence. But we’ll find a rhythm.

And when I return home, I return to my roots. My Aruba Dushi Tera. My siblings. My dad and his wife. My friends. My colleagues. My projects – including an airline. Home will shift, but it will hold.

Because the nest may be empty, but the story continues.

Life continues, with the occasional court appearance, lectures, perhaps a few new books, and, of course, this weekly column.

The chapters go on.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me. Thank you for your readership and for allowing me to share this personal moment.

The house may be quiet, the dinners smaller, the calls less frequent, but the heart is full. I raised them to walk their own paths, and now they are. One in Paris. One in Bremen. And me, somewhere in between, proud, present, and at peace.

I’ll see you next week,  same place, same voice. In the meantime, visit my new website www.lincolngomez.com, where you’ll find all my blogs and podcasts.

Until then…..be well.