Tonight, I’m heading out on a trip with my son back to my hometown. After I drop him off with family—so he can spend a fun-filled week with his cousins, aunt, uncles, and both grandmas—I’ll be heading into the woods.
My uncle has a cabin in Upstate New York, tucked inside a small lakeside cottage community. He’s graciously allowed me to stay there for the week. Family will visit here and there, especially over the weekend, but for the most part… I’ll have the place to myself.
Peace and quiet. Just me, some books, good music, healthy food, and—thankfully—wifi.
No, it won’t be a full-on vacation. I’ll still be working. I’ll still be trading. I’ll still be posting. But I’ll be doing it in a different space—physically and mentally.
And after the kind of week we’ve had in the market, the timing couldn’t be better.
It’ll be good to pause. To take a step back. To reflect.
Years ago, I watched a documentary on Bill Gates. It was a four-parter, but one specific moment has always stuck with me. In it, Gates is shown on one of his annual solo retreats. Each year, he heads to a quiet lakeside cabin in the woods of Washington State—just him and his books. For a full week. No distractions. Just time to think deeply.
That idea has never left me. I’ve dreamed of creating something like that for myself ever since.
This week won’t be exactly that… but it’s the closest I’ve come so far. And I’m really looking forward to it.
Yes, I’ll still be online—updating trade plans, sending notes to clients, sharing what I’m seeing in the options market. But I’ll also be off-grid in all the right ways. Recharging. Rebalancing.
I’ll see you from the other side of the lake.
Oh, and before I forget, I recorded this week's Options Jam Session early due to my travel tomorrow. This week, I riff on the challenging tape our high beta and speculative positions have been experiencing, as well as update the latest on some open positions. Give it a watch here:
Remote video URL
Sean McLaughlin | Chief Options Strategist, All Star Charts
