5AM Club

Good morning from ground zero of fatherhood. This means I woke up much earlier than I would have wanted so I could get in a morning walk, have a workout in the garage, make a coffee and get s…

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Becoming a dad has been the greatest education in my life.

Like most things I’m interested in, I started researching. I listened to podcasts, read books, talked to friends, and tried to absorb as much…

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My goal is that this eventually becomes part of your morning routine. Settle in, take your time, and have a slow scroll. Inside are a handful of places, products, books, music and ideas that have been worth my attention over the past couple of weeks, and hopefully a few that will be worth yours too.

Putting these together has quickly become one of my favorite parts of writing. Every couple of weeks I slow down, look back through my notes, and collect the handful of things that genuinely stood out. I hope you discover something here that earns a place in your own notebook.

STAY

FOUR SEASONS, FLORENCE.

The sort of hotel that feels like you're sleeping in history. As for a room in the main building and don’t miss their signature aged Negroni at the bar.

WEBSITE →

READ

ANTHONY BOURDAIN READER

If you’ve already worked your way through Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw, this is the next one to pick up. It’s a collection of Bourdain’s best writing over the years, and a reminder that his greatest talent wasn’t television, it was making you feel like you were sitting across the table from him.

READ —>

AN IMAGE I SAVED

PODCAST

TETRAGRAMMATON

You can’t go wrong with any conversation Rick Rubin is sharing. His conversation with Substack CEO Chris Best was an interesting listen.

VIEW ALL PODCAST EPISODES →

WEAR

TODD SNYDER ITALIAN LINEN TROUSER

Todd Snyder has quietly become a staple in my wardrobe over the past year. I picked up these linen trousers recently, and they’ve been one of my favorite travel purchases of the summer. They wrinkle far less than you’d expect, which makes them an easy choice to pack.

SHOP —>

NOTE TO SELF

AROUND THE INTERNET

SEASE × Automobili Amos Safari Rally Kit

Inspired by the legendary East African Safari Rally, this collaboration blends Italian tailoring with the kind of functional details you’d expect from endurance motorsport. One of the more thoughtful automotive-inspired collections I’ve seen in a long time.

EXPLORE THE COLLECTION →

WATCH

HOME TOUR OF JOHN FLORENCE’S CATAMARAN

BUY

GROVEMADE DESK SHELF

I recently added this walnut desk shelf from Grovemade to my home office. Since my desk is actually an old dining table, I didn’t have any drawers, so this has been a great way to add a bit of storage while giving the workspace a more intentional feel.

SHOP —>

LISTEN

WEEKLY DOZEN PLAYLIST

Twelve songs I’ve had on repeat this week. A little all over the place, but that’s usually how the best playlists end up. Best enjoyed with the windows down and the volume turned up.

LISTEN —>

LATEST ESSAY

A QUOTE THAT HIT HOME

“The Magic you’re looking for is in the work you are avoiding”

LETS CHAT

I love connecting with you guys. Any questions or thoughts, please feel free to

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PREVIOUSLY IN PROVISIONS:

Arriving at Villa San Michele always starts the same way. Someone is waiting outside for you just as your eyes first settle on the front of the hotel. Maybe the driver sent a sly text message saying …

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Alongside the photos, they sat me down for a short interview. The questions were simple. Personal style, travel, rou…

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That’s the fun part. It’s fucking …

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On average, you get about 80 summers in your life. More if you’re lucky.

I used to say, “Summer is my sport.” And I meant it. I’d strategically place trips during the best weeks of the year, researching destinations months in advance and building itineraries with probably more thought than they deserved.

As I’ve gotten older, or maybe just become less tolerant of crowds, I’ve realized I don’t actually enjoy peak summer all that much. I prefer the shoulder seasons. Early summer, late summer, even the off-season. The weather can be a little less predictable, but so can the experience.

Of course, there are exceptions. Sitting in a cove somewhere in Italy, pretending the rocks aren’t as sharp as they actually are, with a slight buzz from a lunch Negroni, is still pretty hard to beat.

For the last six years, my wife and I have made a habit of planning our European trips in May and September. The weather doesn’t always cooperate, but it usually does. And even when it doesn’t, it’s still worth it.

This year we set off on our inaugural Early Summer Tour with an itinerary that looked something like this:

It was an ambitious month, especially with an almost two-year-old in tow.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing the places, hotels, restaurants, and random notes I collected along the way. The things worth remembering, and a few things worth avoiding.

We’ll start in Portugal with Porsche, followed by a quick detour to Miami for Formula 1.

Porsche Cayenne Electric in Portugal

Porsche invited Paige and me out to Portugal a few weeks ago to experience the new Cayenne Electric. I’ll be honest, when I first saw the word “electric” attached to a Porsche invite, I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my seat.

I’ve always been a gas powered Porsche person for obvious reasons. But I’ve been trying to stay more open minded about things lately and figured worst case scenario, we take the family to Portugal and eat a lot of good seafood.

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I meant to post it then,…

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I get asked about pants more than anything else I wear. Sure, I get asked about other things, but Pants seem to be the most common.

Which honestly makes sense. Pants do most of the work. If they’re ri…

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Somewhere between the second guard gate and the parking area something shifts. The weight of whatever you were carrying starts to fall off of you.

We noticed a lot of …

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I've spent most of my life being a "spur of the moment planner" which doesn't really make sense when you say it out loud. This year I'm trying to actually commit to things early. I’ve spent too many years watching May turn into August, realizing I missed the window on the places I wanted to go and the reservations I should’ve made.

Summer is my sport. I take it seriously. It’s what I live for. So this year I’m actually doing the work ahead of time. I wanted to fill you in on a few initial ideas, hotels, places, and companies I’m exploring.

Planning a summer as a family with our daughter requires a different kind of effort. We started bringing her to Europe at three months old. Even if she doesn't remember it fully, I'm a believer that you can't start too early. A little bit of something will stick with her down the line. Traveling with her changes things. We’re not just booking hotels on a wimb and doing the spur of the moment trips like we used to. We’re thinking about what she’ll take with her from these places. The beach town she’ll want to return to when she’s older. It makes the planning feel more important and more worth getting right.

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Don’t let your Photography books collect dust

Photography books serve multiple purposes, but let’s be honest, most people buy them just to have them. To show on the coffee table. The build and cover d…

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A Sunday drive always starts the same way… a late-night text on Saturday evening.

“Morning drive tomorrow?”
“ABSOLUTELY”
“10 Speed Coffee. 6/6:30?”
“Done. 6:30”

If you know, you know. You slip out of bed…

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STYLE

Drakes Desert Boot // Fortela Canvas Tote // Ralph Lauren Crew Neck // Flamingo Estate Tuscan Rosemary Candle // Splendido X Assouline Book // Paige Herringbone Coat ( use code RILEY15 ) // Velasca Cingoli Pant // Buck Mason Glasses // Belt

Ralph Lauren Brings Americana to Milan

The internet had some extra class and style this weekend…

As time goes on, I have a growing appreciation for Ralph Lauren. I had one polo shirt as a kid, and I cherished it. It was saved for only birthday dinners or nice family outings, but RL is much more than a polo as we all know. I’m not a menswear writer of any kind, I’ll leave that to the professionals, but having worked with Ralph Lauren a few times this last year, I can’t help but appreciate what they are doing.

RL hosted its first dedicated mens fashion show in over a decade. Their Fall 2026 Milan show blended ’90s nostalgia with timeless tradition, featuring both Polo and Purple Label.

In December, I was on a layover in Hong Kong for the day. I came across the Ralph store in central Hong Kong, and I couldn't walk past an RL store without just having a walk through. Every time I notice a new piece of art on the wall or a new article of clothing that sticks with me.

“Ralph has such an affinity for so many different diverse lifestyles and sensibilities. Whether Ralph's in Colorado and sees an 18-year-old lift operator wearing these funky glasses, or he sees kids down in SoHo buying vintage polo and wearing it in a very eclectic way, or kids who are wearing vintage tailoring…he's so attuned to understanding, look at how creatively that young girl or guy is putting those things together.”

- John Wrazej, Senior Brand Creative Director.

Maybe it’s being American and having some extra pride in how far Ralph Lauren has come as a global brand, or maybe I’ve just watched “Very Ralph” one too many times on the seatback of a Delta flight. Probably a combination of both.

STYLE

A Few Books I’m reading.

The Anthony Bourdain Reader is a collection of his standout writing from throughout his life and career, published after his death. It includes famous pieces alongside more personal and previously unseen material, giving a compact portrait of his voice as a cook, traveler, and writer.

Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony de Mello is a short book about waking up to the present moment and seeing life more clearly. It blends Christian spirituality, Eastern philosophy, and psychology in a very direct, conversational style, using stories and anecdotes to challenge automatic habits, emotional dependency, and self-deception.

Travels with Epicurus by Daniel Klein is a witty memoir where a 70-year-old philosopher skips pricey dental implants to vacation on the Greek island of Hydra, suitcase stuffed with philosophy books. He observes local elders savoring simple pleasures like wine, friends, and sunsets and channels Epicurus to argue old age is life’s peak for quiet joys, not frantic bucket lists or anti-aging fights.

Something to try: Shultz Hour

A Shultz Hour is something I want to start trying for a hard reset when needed. It’s basically a weekly ritual of one hour of uninterrupted quiet reflection, inspired by George Shultz. Shultz was U.S. Secretary of State, and he reserved this time with just a notepad to ponder big-picture strategy away from daily urgencies.

He’d tell his secretary to hold all calls except from his wife or the president, using the slot to process deeper insights and avoid getting lost in tactics.

Weekly Dozen

For all of my non-spotify people, here is a list of the songs.

If you’re new here, have a look back at some past PROVISIONS.

In that time between Christmas and New Years, I made an ungodly amount of notes. My desk was flooded with random word vomit on any page I could find. Ideas, inventory of items, things to sell, things to prioritize etc.

I was in my office and finally had a moment to really take inventory of all of my photography gear that I use. I just wanted to see it all written out on one page to better understand what I use and don’t.

This year I’m really trying to simplify as I do every year. Lessen my decision fatigue in any way shape or form that I can. Every camera does a certain job and thats why I have them. But some of these jobs are being doubled up and there is just no need for multiples or unused stuff that someone else could be enjoying.

I thought this could be a fun Substack as I know many of you are photographers in your own right. So, here is a breakdown of the cameras I’m using most, the ones I’m keeping and some I’m selling and why.

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I texted my friend Ben Clymer to see if he w…

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