washington, d.c. 2025 day #4

Currently listening to: On My Mind – Alex Warren & ROSÉ

Hidden underneath the floor
In the attic of my dreams, there’s somebody I adore
I could smile, I could lie
Say, I never think about you at all, most of the time

Woke up at 0545, got dressed, packed up my things, and checked out of the hotel. Sheldon and Dakota offered to take me to the airport, but I didn’t want to torture them even further. We were all exhausted after the night before, and they needed the rest as much as I did. I called an Uber instead, quietly slipping away.

At the airport, I headed to the Centurion Lounge after going through TSA.

The food was honestly mid, but I’m not about to complain—free is free.

I grabbed a plate, picked at it, and just let myself exhale for a bit.

Eventually, I made my way to the gate and ended up talking with other Stays while we waited to board. I handed out a few more bracelets—it’s always nice to meet other fans of Stray Kids.

It was my first time flying Alaska Airlines, and I’ll admit—Delta really has me spoiled.

No seatback screens, like we’re back in the 1900’s. No complimentary Wi-Fi, except with my phone carrier, I was able to get four hours for free. I had upgraded to premier, not first class since it was fully booked, but at least I had some extra legroom. Then, the guy sitting next to me got bumped up to first, which left the middle seat empty. I had enough room to stretch out, breathe, and even catch some zzzs.

Mid-flight, they made an announcement asking for any healthcare professionals on board—a passenger was having some kind of medical issue. I hit the call button and let them know I was available, but the crew said they already had volunteers and would keep me in mind.

Landing in Los Angeles felt like a soft reset. I know it was unusual weather for D.C., but still. Coming back to L.A.’s dry warmth felt like a relief.

I picked up my car from the airport parking structure, and somehow, there was no traffic. I made it home in record time. Victory!

As soon as I walked through the door, I dumped my clothes straight into the laundry, took a cold shower (again), and sat down to catch up on my consulting gig. I still had e-mails waiting from my second job and a project deadline I couldn’t ignore. I really thought I could power through. But my body had other plans—it said, bitch, please, and knocked me out cold for four hours.

Woke up groggy, forced myself to finish my slide deck, and sat there for a second trying to piece it all together.

Everything felt like a dream…