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JULY 2025
Tracks and Treasures
Summer Through a Child’s Eyes
I’ve always loved the summer because some of the most significant events in my life took place during this time of year. This is the season when most people take family vacations, and I’ve been thinking a lot lately about some of the unforgettable trips I took with my family when I was a kid. I read online that research shows that 90% of childhood core memories come from family trips. While I’m not entirely sure that’s an accurate figure, it certainly makes sense in my case. All these years later, I still think back to those days with a smile. Although I grew up in a little beach town in Northern California, my mom is from Wisconsin. In the summer, we’d take a train from California to Chicago, then take a second train from Chicago to Milwaukee. After getting picked up there, we’d spend a few weeks with my grandparents. Camping was our other Check out the “Illinois Divorce Guide Podcast”! Listen and Share!
default vacation. My parents didn’t have a ton of disposable income, so that was always a fantastic budget-friendly option. What we did for our vacation didn’t matter to me; every trip was a fun adventure. I was about 4 years old when we first started taking those train rides, and they were always a magical experience. My sister and I would go up and down the train cars, make friends with other passengers, and play cards with them. It was super-exciting to wind our way through the country that way, as long as we always followed the Golden Rule of train travel: Don’t get off until the final stop! Once in Wisconsin, I’d see our cousins and drink as much soda as I wanted. (After all, I was on vacation!) I’d also explore my grandparents’ attic and find many cool old things there. My grandpa used to work at a Carnation factory, so it was common to find boxes and boxes of powdered chocolate and hot chocolate mix stashed away. Naturally, camping was another grand excursion. I’d swim in whatever watering hole I’d find, play games in the dirt, and eat pancakes around the campfire. What more could a young boy want? One year, while camping, we randomly ran into one of my best friends’ families, the Dochertys, on a site about two hours north of our hometown. We ended up camping together, and that impromptu trip with one of my best buddies was a blast.
Those memories still stick out decades later. Now that I’m a parent, I do all I can to provide my kids with similar experiences they’ll cherish forever. We’ve carried on the family tradition of camping, although I admit I didn’t realize until I was an adult how much work it takes to pack everything, set it up, and then tear it all down to bring home! But the kids love it, and that’s what’s important. That’s not to say we’ll be roughing it the whole season. We’re also planning a trip to the French Lick Resort in Southern Indiana — a spot with amazing pools and really good golf — with another family this summer. One of my main goals in life is to make summertime a season of memories for my children. As I learned as a kid, it doesn’t matter whether your family doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on an extravagant getaway; what matters is giving your loved ones memories that will last a lifetime. No matter where you go, I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy one or more tremendous summer vacations this year. Who knows … maybe one of those trips will be the event your kids remember when they’re grown up and take their children on a vacation they’ll never forget.
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When Monopoly Helped Win a War
Allied Powers Outwitted the Enemy, One Game at a Time
You know Monopoly as the game that ruins friendships and sparks hourlong battles over Park Place. But during World War II, it played a much more significant and far braver role: helping Allied soldiers escape from German POW camps. Yes, really .
In one of the most brilliant covert ops of the war, the British Secret Service turned Monopoly into a top-secret escape kit. Before this tactic, smuggling noisy paper maps without tipping off the guards was too risky, and getting caught could be fatal for prisoners. Enter silk — strong, weather-resistant, and, most importantly, silent. The British turned to John Waddington Ltd., the licensed Monopoly manufacturer in the UK, who also happened to be an expert in printing on silk. It was a match made in espionage heaven. Waddington didn’t just tuck maps into game boxes, though. In a locked room most employees didn’t know existed,
craftsmen rigged Monopoly sets with tiny metal files, magnetic compasses, and even real currency hidden beneath the play money. Each game was marked with a secret red dot on the Free Parking space — an insider’s clue for captured soldiers to look out for. Thanks to a clever partnership with the Red Cross, these “games” were slipped into POW camps as humanitarian aid packages. The guards thought they were passing along innocent entertainment. Meanwhile, inside the box were the tools to freedom. By the end of the war, over 35,000 POWs had escaped German camps — many with the help of these customized Monopoly sets. Though exact numbers are lost to history, Monopoly’s role in those escapes is one of the war’s clever secrets. The mission was kept quiet for decades to preserve the strategy for future use. Today, the story reminds us that the simplest tools can sometimes carry out extraordinary missions. Next time you pass “Go,” just remember Monopoly once helped people pass barbed wire.
Parallel Paths
Co-Parenting Through Summer Travel
As discussed in the cover article, family vacations are a fantastic way to spend quality time with your loved ones and create lasting memories, especially for children. However, these vacations can be problematic and emotionally charged when parents enter summer divorced and must tackle separate trips with their children for the first time. Here are two helpful tips to make this scenario less awkward and more enjoyable for everyone involved. OPENNESS AND COMMUNICATION ARE KEY. If taking a full family vacation post-divorce is out of the question, it is essential to find ways to work with your ex — and your children — to make the transition to separate trips as smooth as possible. Loop in the other parent on your travel plans with your children — including the destination, contact information, and pickup/drop-off times — to ensure they know what’s happening and how they can help if unexpected emergencies arise. If disagreements arise over any aspect of the trip(s), keep these discussions between you and your ex and don’t put the children in the middle. It’s also a great idea to involve your children in the vacation planning process by letting them suggest where to go and what to do. This will help them feel engaged and more positive about going away with only one parent. Additionally, consider encouraging them to contact
the other parent while they’re away with you. Filling them in on fun details may help your children feel more connected to them despite their absence. DON’T BOTTLE UP YOUR FEELINGS.
While it’s always good to maintain a positive attitude, keep a brave face in front of your children, and collaborate
with your ex-spouse during vacation planning; the stress and sadness that often come with navigating separate lives can be overwhelming. If you’re having difficulty processing your first summer vacation without your whole family in tow, seeking guidance and support from a therapist can help address these intense feelings. Sharing your thoughts with an outside party may introduce you to new perspectives and tools to help you better understand how to handle the tough times. Most importantly, working with a therapist allows you to vent productively instead of carrying negative emotions that may affect your time with your children, who are often more aware of your underlying mood than you may realize.
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Endings and Empowerment A Fresh Start After Separation
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” The above quote, often credited to Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, can be applied to any obstacle we face in life. Yes, we will inevitably face struggles, but our attitude toward those issues and how we process them can mean the difference between feeling defeated in the long term and rising above our challenges, and divorce is no exception. Here are three thoughts to consider when you struggle to see the light in dark times. YOU HOLD THE KEY TO YOUR HAPPINESS. Most marriages and long-term relationships occur because the people in them make each other happy, so it’s common for each person to define their joy through their partner’s presence. When this connection is severed, the sense of loss can be intense. While it’s understandable to mourn the loss of the positive things your relationship gave you, a divorce or separation is an opportunity to take greater ownership and responsibility for
your own pleasure and contentment. This is a perfect time to pursue new hobbies, interests, and life goals you may have previously put aside due to your commitments to your marriage or partnership. A NEW LIFE IS OFTEN THE BEST MEDICINE. Our bodies often tell us things our minds don’t want to hear. If long stretches of stress or tension preceded your divorce or separation, the situation may have been doing more harm to your physical well-being than you knew. Removing yourself from tense situations can do wonders for your health, improving everything from your immune system to your dietary habits. YOU OWE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF SELF- AWARENESS. Whether your newly single life resulted from someone breaking your heart or mistakes made on your part, don’t allow things you cannot undo stand in the way of your future. Instead, use the situation as an opportunity
to understand yourself. What would you have done differently? What have you learned about yourself? What lessons have you learned about communicating with others and treating them well? These are important — if sometimes difficult — questions to consider. As you grapple with the lessons learned, go easy on yourself and remember that even a mistake can teach you something about being a stronger, better person in the long run.
TAKE A BREAK
Garlic Parmesan Shrimp This recipe is quick, easy, and promises a restaurant-quality meal from your own kitchen. It’s perfect over pasta or a green salad. Impress guests or indulge yourself on a weeknight!
Ingredients • 3 tbsp olive oil • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1 tsp Italian seasoning • 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley • Juice of 1 lemon
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 3. Add shrimp to the bowl and toss until fully coated. 4. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet. 5. Roast in the oven for 7–9 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and slightly golden. 6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley and fresh lemon juice before serving.
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161 N. Clark, Ste. 1700 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 488-1938 rbbfirm.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
1.
A Season to Savor
2.
The Most Dangerous Game of Monopoly Ever Played
Shared Kids, Separate Trips
3.
Move Forward With Purpose
Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
4.
The Parks You’ve Never Heard Of (But Need to Visit)
Ditch the Tourist Traps 3 National Parks That Are Worth the Detour
Whenever you hear a friend or family member say they’re going to take a road trip to visit some of America’s most beautiful national parks, they usually plan to visit the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, the Great Smoky Mountains, or Yosemite. These national parks
can reach the mainland visitor center in Ventura by car, but the islands are only accessible by park concessionaire boats or private boats. Make reservations in advance. CUYAHOGA NATIONAL PARK, OHIO If you want a unique experience, visit Cuyahoga National Park. Like many other national parks, you can enjoy hiking, rock climbing, and photography while exploring the park’s 33,000 acres. You can admire many of the 1,000 species of plants and animals throughout your exploration, but if you want to get the full experience, hop aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA Exploring a cave might not be your first thought when considering national parks, but Wind Cave is a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s one of the longest and most complex caves in the world and has many unique features, such as frostwork, cave popcorn, and boxwork, creating unique sights with every step. Once you head back outside, a beautiful mixed- grass prairie, home to bison, prairie dogs, and more, will greet you.
consistently attract millions of visitors every year, but they’re far from the only must-see national parks in the country. There are 429 protected national sites within the U.S., and 63 of those have obtained the official “national park” designation in their names. (The other labels are battlefields, historic sites, monuments, recreation areas, etc.) If you want to experience the beauty of America without the crowds, consider visiting these destinations during your next vacation! CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA Often referred to as the Galapagos of North America, the Channel Islands are a unique area of the coast of Southern California. While visiting, you can expect to see seals, island foxes, and over 2,000 other plant and animal species, with 145 found nowhere else on Earth. You
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