Dear Max,

Know the difference between truth and fantasy. Know what you’re searching for before you look. Know what the real you thinks. 

Be a friend to yourself. 

To do so, be alone with yourself and be truthful. Find your independence. Only when you know your true self will you feel at one with the world. 

Love,

Dad

PS: When I go to a new place, a party where I don’t know anyone or a new country, I feel like I’ve been before. I feel comfortable because I know myself and I like myself. I realized this when your mom and I were walking in a square in Florence.