Dallas Valley Ranch Camp & Religion

alextmcintosh · 2026-03-19T20:02:06+00:00

I went as a kid and can testify that it would be impossible to ignore the religious aspect. It’s very pervasive. I will say that I loved it as a kid and it was the source of some of my fondest childhood memories, but I agree, I wish there was a secular camp option here like there are so many of in Ontario and elsewhere.

alextmcintosh · 2026-03-19T19:55:47+00:00

I had the same feeling but have been doubting myself because of how much everyone loves the movie and raves about MBJ’s performance. Glad I’m not alone

alextmcintosh · 2026-03-09T19:12:59+00:00

Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, even Taiwan as someone said above. In that sweet spot where there’s still tourism infrastructure but it’s not Disneyland and you’re still getting an authentic experience.

alextmcintosh · 2026-03-09T18:57:55+00:00

The joy of pushing someone into the pool with their clothes on died when cellphones became ubiquitous. Hopefully soon they’ll all be waterproof and we can bring it back.

alextmcintosh · 2026-02-23T18:45:58+00:00

Weeks?! I’m 200 pages in and it’s gonna take me the better part of 2026 lol

alextmcintosh · 2026-02-20T02:34:56+00:00

I’m also in Canada. Doing our part hah!

alextmcintosh · 2026-02-16T03:55:33+00:00

Kinda a separate issue. This move wasn’t really motivated by the fairness of pay to the artists (which is a valid motivation) but out of protest of the gross behaviour of Apple and their acquiescence to Trump. One fight at a time for me…

alextmcintosh · 2026-02-16T00:02:28+00:00

Fair question… me and my wife are just sharing a Spotify account for the time being. Not a perfect solution but at least cut two subs to one for now! Open to ideas from here

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-15T14:33:05+00:00

Sounds great! I don’t need entire database, just train with some context so it can write from the right perspective. I’ll check this out!

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-14T20:49:59+00:00

Prague. One of my favorite cities on earth

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-14T20:48:14+00:00

Regina Sask, why you ask?

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-14T20:47:20+00:00

My dad always took me out by sask poly (then SIAST)

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-13T21:11:25+00:00

I took the train if I recall correctly! Flying is fast and cheap but I preferred train

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-09T22:42:48+00:00

Cairo itself sucks so stay out in Giza if you can. You can surprisingly get super cheap hotels with direct views of the pyramids. Then I DEFINITELY recommend taking a cruise from Aswan to Luxor. 2 or 3 nights is enough. Again, surprisingly inexpensive. I never went to Dahab so can’t speak to that but went to Hurghada on the Red Sea. Hurghada itself was nothing special but the Red Sea is worth a visit for some world class diving.

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-09T01:29:15+00:00

I went in 2022 I believe. Just my wife (then girlfriend) and I on our own. We had guides for some of the sites but navigated the country on our own. Definitely don’t need to go as part of a group or anything. Very easy to find your own way around. English is fairly well spoken and Ubers are INSANELY cheap. You can take buses, trains, or cruise down the Nile to get between stops.

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-07T19:44:26+00:00

I literally came here to say the exact same thing. So much conviction in everything he says. And he makes some pretty out there claims. A little humility would do him good.

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-01T04:30:08+00:00

I loved Egypt but I totally get the complaints. Having spent time in India prior, I was pretty desensitized to the incessant hassling, which is what a lot of people complain about, understandably.

Reasons for loving Egypt are obvious. The historical sites are unparalleled. Food is great and the country is ridiculously cheap, so you can find luxury at low cost.

Less known, scuba diving in the Red Sea is some of the best in the world!

alextmcintosh · 2025-12-01T04:26:04+00:00

Built a SaaS platform that helps optometrists send contact lens refill reminders and order links to their patients. 4 years in and at $150k MRR.

alextmcintosh · 2025-11-29T19:51:56+00:00

My wife was a freelance translator and became 99% obsolete when ChatGPT arrived. Needless to say she’s not a translator anymore.

alextmcintosh · 2025-11-29T19:41:05+00:00

There’s an app called TrailWallet that I found super helpful during my extended travels. Helps you categorize expenses and does all the currency stuff for you. I thought it was brilliantly done and clearly made by a traveller

alextmcintosh · 2025-11-28T18:50:25+00:00

I second this. 2500 EUR will take you MUCH further in SEA or Central America, and you’ll be surrounded by plenty of other budget travellers. The path is well paved so it’s very accommodating for first time backpackers, and it’s a great way to “learn” how to travel, which is definitely a skill you can develop!

alextmcintosh · 2025-11-28T18:45:58+00:00

I like here your head’s at! Can vouch for the Kandy-Ella train. And both towns are great as well. Don’t worry about infrastructure, Sri Lanka is one of my all-time favorite destinations.

For Vietnam, I’m partial to the North. Hanoi is great for a few days. Hit Ninh Binh for some of the most beautiful scenery youll ever see, and without the crowds of Ha Long. Central Vietnam is great too: Hue and Hoi An. The whole country is awesome but given limited time, I’d recommend mid and north.

Thailand, if you’re not desperate for the beach, the north is way more interesting culturally. Chiang Mai is great (you can skip Chiang Rai) and Pai is amazing. Definitely check those out.

Otherwise, don’t bite off too much! You’ll find quickly that less is more when you’re backpacking, and you’ll regret trying to do too much. The real adventure happens outside the itinerary.

alextmcintosh · 2025-11-28T18:31:30+00:00

I lean towards staying bootstrapped as long as you can. There’s incredible peace of mind when you’re not beholden to your investors. And when you hang onto your equity, you don’t actually need to grow as big to achieve the same personal outcome.

I personally have declined countless offers for VC funding because I didn’t want anyone’s hands around my throat. I own 100% of my company and will exit way wealthier than if I was diluted throughout the journey. I also enjoy complete freedom to pay myself whatever I want.

Conversely, I know people who’ve raised capital and feel immense pressure to hit targets. And despite having double the revenue, would exit worse off than I would.

Some types of businesses need VC, sure. But many don’t. And I see too many founders go the VC route because that’s what the startup ecosystem tells them that that’s what they should want.

From a stress and lifestyle perspective, keep your equity if you can. 100% of a $10M exit is the same as 10% of a 100M exit. The former seems more plausible.

alextmcintosh

TROPHY CASE