I’m Carlos Samaniego, and I’m officially off duty. Well, sort of. For the past four years, I wasn’t just a dad, I was a volleyball dad. And if you’ve ever been a club travel parent, you know that’s not a job. It’s a full-time, unpaid position with overtime, no benefits, and the distinct privilege of hauling a car filled to the brim with weekend “stuff” to sweaty knee pads and half-eaten protein bars across state lines.
Bella didn’t just play volleyball; she lived it. From Yucaipa High’s varsity team to the relentless grind of club travel tournaments, she dove, dug, and served through countless weekends while Liz and I raced up more miles than a long-haul trucker. We’ve been to Anaheim, Utah, Texas, Las Vegas, and anywhere else with a gym and questionable WiFi, living off concession stand nachos and bad hotel coffee.
And now? Now, she’s off to the Coast Guard Academy in 4+ weeks, where she’ll keep playing volleyball, this time in a uniform that gets pressed and ironed. And us? We’re off the clock. The gym is quiet. The Subaru is empty. And Liz and I are left standing here, wondering what to do with all the weekends we just got back.
It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. It’s a little like the end of a long, exhausting tournament. You’re relieved to finally get some rest, but your ears still ring with whistles and court chatter, and your hands can’t stop reaching for a Gatorade.
Liz came up with the idea for this newsletter somewhere between her third cup of coffee and our 473rd conversation about what life will look like when it’s just the two of us.
We’ve been glued to each other for years, waking up together, running our tax resolution firm, Tax Debt Consultants, together, driving Bella to tournaments, and collapsing into bed, only to do it all again. The gym is silent, the calendar is empty, and the only spike in the house is from my blood pressure.
So yeah, I’m off duty. But don’t worry, I’ll keep showing up here. Because while the court may be empty, the stories sure aren’t.
Welcome to Dad’s Dispatch! Buckle up. This is going to get interesting.
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