07/10/2026
Story time ✈️
Exactly three years in on running a design firm in two cities. Which means I am in an airport a lot. Like a lot a lot. Mostly LAX and AUS but…
The upside: I get to be in the room for most of the big decisions. The exception is when mom life wins, because it always comes first.
At this point, I’ve become extremely efficient at travel. Down to how I plan, how I move, and how little I can cram into a backpack. Shoutout to baked lays and string cheese fulfilling my airport snack cravings.
On my last flight, my guy texted me midair:
“Chicago this weekend?”
And because:
1. I am almost always a yes to the adventure of life, and
2. I was already halfway there…
I changed my flights, booked a car, figured out accommodations, and suddenly a Chicago weekend was born.
One tiny issue: I had packed for exactly one day. In a backpack.
Cue a panic sprint through the mall, grabbing every essential I could possibly squirrel into my single backpack.
Somehow, it all worked.
The extra time on the ground meant I got to celebrate my college bestie’s birthday, help my team set up our new office space, and make it to an exciting design meeting I’d originally planned to miss.
Is my life chaotic? Sometimes.
Is it stressful? Absolutely. Adulting is hard.
Is it fun? Mostly.
Would I want it any other way? Nope.
I’m pretty sure I’m not going to look back one day and think, “Gosh, I really wish I had stayed home more.”
