"It wasn’t just about playing music again—it was about reconnecting with something that had been simmering in the background for years. And in the process, I found new people, new connections, and a reminder that even when life is busy, even when you’re deep in parenting, your passions don’t disappear. You can make time for them, and you should. Because they’re part of who you are, not just who you used to be."
What’s the one thing you wish you knew at age 19?
Kristin: "I suppose it would be to care less about what others think of you when you're young. So much value is placed on external opinions, but as you get older, you realize that what truly matters is how you see yourself. Of course, that's easier said than done at 19—it’s hard to grasp at that age. But if I could give advice, it would be to worry less about others’ judgments and focus more on your own growth and self-perception."
Gabe: "Looking back, one thing I didn’t fully appreciate until later was how much I enjoyed working with my hands. In high school, I spent my summers doing construction work when I was 17 or 18. Then I went to college, moved away from Indiana—a very blue-collar state—and headed here, thinking I’d go to film school and pursue creative fields like entertainment and music.
I enjoyed that path, but over time, I realized how much I had learned from hands-on work—whether it was construction or working on friends’ farms. Now I help build things in urban planning, and I see how those early experiences shaped my skills. At the time, I didn’t recognize that I had a natural talent for designing and building, and I kind of wish someone had pointed it out to me. While I still love film and the arts, I’ve come to see that my real strength—the thing that comes most naturally to me—is creating and building things."
What’s heavily played on your playlist right now?
"Well, our Spotify playlist is currently dominated by the kids—there's a lot of Wicked on repeat. But if it weren’t controlled by them, I’d be listening to a lot more emerging blues artists. I’ve been really into Gary Clark Jr., and there’s a band I love called Larkin Poe—they have a really rootsy, soulful blues sound."
What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
"I once interviewed for a job with the CIA. Originally, I was on the path to becoming a Foreign Service Officer. I had studied film and theater, and while working in LA, I found the industry to be incredibly frenetic—projects were short-lived, and relationships formed intensely for a few weeks or months before dissolving as everyone moved on to the next gig. I started craving more stability. Coming from a family with a strong international background—my dad is a refugee from Cuba, and we’ve always had deep global connections—I was naturally drawn to geopolitics, history, and international relations. I loved studying maps, world affairs, and different cultures, so I pursued that field seriously.
At one point, I had an opportunity to go to Korea for up to a year, so I immersed myself in Korean language studies and reached a point where I could read and write in Korean. But just two weeks before my departure, my assignment was changed—I was sent to Vietnam instead, where I spent about five months. Right before leaving, we had just started dating, and on my way to Vietnam, I visited her family in Hawaii for the first time. During that trip, back in 2005, I also had a late-night CIA interview at around 2 AM—D.C. time. In the end, I decided not to pursue that career path, but the experience shaped me, and to this day, I can still read and write in Korean."
What’s a misconception people often have about you?
Kristin: "People tend to think I’m really nice when they first meet me—very sweet and polite, maybe it’s how I look? But once they get to know me, they’re often surprised by my dry, sarcastic sense of humor. People usually expect me to always be overly polite, so when I make a sharp or witty remark, they’re caught off guard—like, Whoa, I didn’t see that coming. That’s one thing people are always surprised by."
Gabe: "I actually wanted to be a stand-up comedian—though I probably would've been canceled. I never quite found the right balance—my jokes were either painfully corny dad jokes or wildly inappropriate."
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself in the past year?
"I’d say gaining more confidence with music has been a big thing for me. When I first started college, I told myself I was going to music school. But I psyched myself out, thinking, I don’t have the piano skills, I don’t have the musical talent to really do this. So I let it go. But in the back of my mind, I always felt like music was something I still wanted to pursue.
This past year, I finally built up the courage—and found the time—to make it happen. I got a group together, and we actually played our first gig. It was the first time I’d performed in front of people in 20 years. We jokingly called ourselves the “Dad Band” at first, but now that we have moms in the group too, we’re officially Danger Bees.
Back in high school and early college, I used to play with people all the time, but life got busy, and I hadn’t done it in decades. A lot of it was insecurity—just not feeling ready—but eventually, I realized I’d been making excuses. We all do it. We tell ourselves, Oh, I’ll commit to this when I’m older, when the kids are grown, when life slows down. But the truth is, there’s never a perfect time. You just have to do it.
It wasn’t just about playing music again—it was about reconnecting with something that had been simmering in the background for years. And in the process, I found new people, new connections, and a reminder that even when life is busy, even when you’re deep in parenting, your passions don’t disappear. You can make time for them, and you should. Because they’re part of who you are, not just who you used to be."
*Assisted with home purchase*
