2024 WFA Summer Highlights

Wondering what your Woodward Financial Advisors team has been up to this summer? We've got phenomenal trips, big announcements, and fun moments to share with you below:

Jim Miller, CFP® 

The summer of 2024 was pretty action-packed. It started with a few days at the beach with the family before launching my firstborn child, Ava, to London where she studied for two months at the London School of Economics.  At the end of June, my youngest (Liza) and I headed to the Pacific Northwest where her soccer team competed in the national playoffs. We spent a nice week in Seattle enjoying the competition - but also the scenery, weather, and even getting some time to visit with clients who had recently moved to their new home!

The summer highlight occurred in early August when all three of my kids and I went to London for a few days to retrieve Ava (and see her campus and dorm) followed by a week in Italy.  We jumped around, visiting Florence, Tuscany, Venice, and Bologna - enjoying great food, cooking classes, learning about the culture and history and just experiencing life.

Vic Colella, CFP® 

This summer for our family was very exciting (almost too exciting...).

June kicked off the summer with a double-whammy as my wife finished her PhD in Maternal and Child Health from UNC! Within a week or two of her successfully crossing this milestone, we went on our first cruise as a family with Mia, our 18-month-old daughter, in tow. Mia's highlights were: the flying fish sightings, the freedom to wander around the boat, and watching her parents following a few steps behind her. While we were cruising around the Caribbean (specifically, standing inside a Fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico), we closed on our new home in Hillsborough. Then began, the chaos of moving with a toddler. To add another element to all of this, we are expecting baby #2 in November of this year - so we'll just say I had to move all the big boxes on my own.  

July was our month of settling in Hillsborough, which we've loved so far. There's so much to explore in Hillsborough, and now we're much closer to Chapel Hill AND Durham than we were when we lived "out in the woods" in Chatham County towards Pittsboro.  We capped off our July with a long weekend trip to explore New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, to meet up with my sister's family and my parents who both live in Northeast Ohio. It's great to see our daughter Mia interacting with her first cousins from Cleveland! We were thoroughly impressed with New River Gorge National Park and will be going back sometime soon to continue the exploration.  

August has been our time to recover, and it's been great spending time with friends and local family in North Carolina who we missed in the craziness of the previous months. August also marked a return to reality, as my wife (...Dr. Wife I mean) started her new job - and we're also realizing there are still a lot of boxes sitting around that we should probably unpack...

Laura Neal, CFP® 

The highlight of our summer was a family reunion trip to Sevierville, Tennessee.  My husband's family is scattered across the US, and the Smokey Mountains are a good middle point for all of us.  The trip started with the good luck of my 12-year-old son, Jamie, sitting next to a boy his age on the plane and talking so much that he forgot that he was afraid of flying.  We arrived at our cabin community after dark and were greeted by no less than three black bears as we made our way to the house!  We had more than a dozen kids on the trip, so we headed out to Dollywood on our first day, where I found out I still enjoy riding roller coasters with my 16-year-old daughter, Bridget.  We also enjoyed hiking, swimming, and catching up with family.  But the best part always comes at the end, when you are back home, in your own bed.  

Alex Richani, CFP® 

Generally, the days of 95+ degree heat and humidity tempt me to sequester inside while I wait for the relief of fall. However, as we approach the change in seasons, I’m looking back fondly on the experiences had, memories formed, and life choices made in summer 2024.

In May, I participated in my first triathlon as part of a relay team (Go Team Tort!). I completed the 18-mile biking leg and found it immensely humbling to be easily passed by many experienced riders. Overall, a very fun time with friends and a challenge I’d like to undertake again. In early May, my (now) fiancé and I purchased a house in Durham together. We moved in early June and are slowly chipping away at the list of projects. We’re thankful to have hosted friends and family over the past few months and are experiencing the transition from “house” to “home” through the memories we’re creating in our new space!

The biggest moment of my summer came in July when Annie and I got engaged on a backpacking trip in Tahoe National Forest! We both knew a proposal was coming, but I kept the when, where, and how to myself. Somehow, I was collected enough to keep the secret until just before we hiked back from our site. It was wonderful celebrating our big news with Annie’s family, who live in Northern California! The next two days involved taking her nephew to a water park to celebrate his birthday and a family reunion at a cabin near Blue Lake in Tahoe.

Taylor Cole, CFP® 

Time flies when you’re having fun -- and, oh how this summer flew by! My summer started with a late-night adventure to find the perfect spot to view the aurora borealis in May. My boyfriend and I left our house around 1:30 am not to return until just before dawn to enjoy hot chocolate, priceless memories, and the gorgeous sky.  

Of course, my summer would not be complete without some motorcycle shenanigans, and I made sure to take some of those beautiful half-day Fridays to work on my two-wheeled driving skills. One of my favorite memories while riding is the time I found a waterfall and took an impromptu break for a short hike and a little rest and relaxation.

To cap off the summer my family all came together in Garden City Beach, SC where we all pitched in to rent a beach house. While there we boogie-boarded, played cards, drank…water, and laughed to our hearts content. The sunsets over the marsh were magical and this trip was the perfect way to wrap up a wonderful summer.

Courtney Cubbin, FPQP® 

I got engaged! My little sister flew down to "surprise" me, but I slightly ruined the surprise by figuring out the plan! It was still a very thoughtful plan between her and my now fiancé -- and I felt very loved by everyone. Our dogs were there and we got engaged at the Duke Pond (a place we used to walk our dogs when we first moved to Durham 3 years ago) -- a very special place for us after moving here together!  

I also traveled to Wyoming for a wedding! I have never been out west before and it was beautiful! We had time around wedding festivities to check out the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, as well as some other smaller spots around Jackson. The landscape was amazing and nothing I've ever seen before -- and the roaming buffalo were hysterical! Will definitely be planning another trip out there to see even more amazing sites!

Christopher Reid, ChFC ®

This summer was a fantastic time for both me and my family. The highlight was our trip to Hawaii, where we stayed at the Disney Aulani Resort on Oahu. It was truly one of the best experiences I've ever had. We celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary, explored the island, tasted a variety of local foods, and visited many incredible spots. One of the most challenging, yet rewarding, moments was hiking up an old railroad track on a mountain. Although the hike usually takes an hour, my wife and I, driven by our competitive spirits, made it to the top in just 27 minutes—despite all the cramping, panting, and complaining along the way.

In addition to our Hawaii adventure, my wife also traveled to Omaha to watch the Tar Heels make it to the College World Series. She even hosted a successful soccer match between Manchester City and Celtic during the recent football series at Kenan Stadium.

Derek Ellison

Summer is one of my favorite seasons! I enjoy the warm air, long days, and vacations that come with summer. Summer is a great time to recharge and spend time with loved ones and friends outside. Some of my favorite activities are going to the beach, golfing, and going to the gym. I also really enjoy summer nights spent at breweries listening to live music!
 
This summer, I had the pleasure of playing at Legends Golf Resort in Myrtle Beach. Eleven friends and I rented villas and spent three days golfing at their resort. It was an awesome time on the course followed up with some great food at the local pub. After that, we would close the night with either a friendly game of cornhole or darts. I really enjoyed this trip and will be doing it again next year!
 
My other big highlight was visiting Peaks Island (off the coast of Portland), Maine with my wife, Hannah, and her family. This trip is one I look forward to yearly! I always feel like my stress goes away. Peaks Island is about three miles total around the perimeter and has one gas station, one grocery store, one ice cream shop, four restaurants -- but best of all: a ton of great views and sea glass that litters the island! Biking is the most popular mode of transportation, and you get to the island by ferry so cars are not required. It's a place I look forward to when summer rolls around.

Ashley Clark

While we didn't adventure a ton this summer, we spent a lot of quality time with family and trying new things! Our almost 5-year-old son, Hudson, continued his longstanding obsession with snakes and so ... we spent many, many days reading about snakes, checking the library every week for new snake books, watching videos about snakes, pretending to be snake handlers, and even going to Repticon in Raleigh - a reptile show where he was able to hold several animals I could barely even look at (yikes!) When we weren't talking about reptiles, we used our free time building castles in the playroom (and snake cages) with Maganatiles and Hudson's cousins, Roman and Dallas. 

We did manage one trip away and met my family from Louisiana in Hilton Head for a long weekend. We don't see each other often, so getting all the cousins and our kids together was nice. Between us all, we've got quite the crew and they enjoyed most days in the pool and visiting the beach. Hudson's crowning achievement of this trip was conquering jumping into the pool by himself -- quite the milestone for a kid!

Our biggest adventure was adding a new dog, Bigsby, to our family! He is 7 months old and so cuddly! We had an adventurous start with him getting spooked and running off into the woods with his leash on. One disastrous sunburn and several hours later, we found him. He has since settled in and is the very best boy! 

Want to share YOUR summer highlights? We'd love to hear stories and/or see photos! 

CLICK HERE to share with your WFA team!