75 Hard Restart Day 3: Red Eye Flights, Airport Workouts & Real-Life Alignment
Restart Day 3.
I knew the second I woke up that this was going to be a busy day.
Actually…
I didn’t really wake up early at all.
My partner didn’t have to go into work at his usual time, and I was flying out on a red eye that night, so we stayed in bed until almost 8 AM.
Just laying there:
talking
snuggling
slowly waking up together
Those slow little moments matter so much more to me these days.
Eventually he got up and headed to work.
And I followed suit.
Morning Walk + Deer in the Hills
Once I got moving, I headed out for my walk through the neighborhood hills.
And while I was out there, I saw a mama deer and her baby grazing in someone’s yard.
One of those quiet little moments that instantly softens you.
Especially this time of year in Northern California when everything is still green.
After the walk, breakfast was:
two fried eggs
sourdough toast
half a small avocado
five strawberries
Simple. Warm. Filling.
Redirecting Myself Toward Priorities
After breakfast, I knew I had an overwhelming amount of things to do.
Packing.
Laundry.
Work.
Flight prep.
Podcast recording.
Travel prep.
But I had already promised myself that during this restart, I would not let myself start random tasks before completing my actual priorities.
So before doing anything else, I made myself:
finish my reading
complete my first workout
drink my first 32 ounces of water
And I had to redirect myself multiple times.
Because it’s funny how easy it is to start doing things that feel urgent while avoiding the things that actually matter most.
Once those were done, my next priority was recording a podcast.
And again…
I had to keep redirecting myself away from random distractions and back toward the things that actually needed to happen.
Which made me realize how much feminine and masculine energy show up even in productivity.
The masculine creates direction:
priorities
structure
leadership
follow-through
The feminine allows flow:
creativity
intuition
softness
adaptability
And without structure, it becomes really easy to spend your whole day reacting instead of intentionally leading yourself through it.
Salad Bar Lunch Date
Around noon, my partner came back from work.
Lucky duck.
If he has to go into the office on Fridays, it’s usually only a half day.
So we decided to go to the local grocery store and build salads from the salad bar.
Mine had:
spring mix
chicken breast
cherry tomatoes
beets
kidney beans
garbanzo beans
mushrooms
red onion
strawberries
dried cranberries
almonds
blue cheese
balsamic vinaigrette
And I ate the whole thing.
Which felt good because travel days can so easily turn into eating random convenience food all day.
The Race Against the Clock
After lunch, it became an absolute race against the clock.
I started laundry.
Started packing.
Tried getting my entire life together in under three hours.
Because that night, I was flying to Rhode Island for my daughter’s graduation from Brown University.
And somehow it still took me almost two and a half hours to fully pull everything together.
I finally got on the road around 4 PM.
Which was good because my flight out of San Francisco International Airport was at 9 PM…
and it was a holiday weekend.
Meaning:
the traffic was absolutely traffic-ing.
Living out in the country now has definitely changed my perspective because what used to feel like a normal drive into the city now feels LONG.
The usual two-hour drive was looking more like three.
And my goal was to be parked, checked in, and through security no later than 7:30.
Meanwhile…
I’m still drinking all this water.
Which meant I had to stop four separate times on the drive just to pee.
The glamorous side of hydration.
Airport Dinner + Terminal Workout
I finally parked in long-term parking around 7:15.
Luckily security moved quickly.
And the second I got through TSA, I immediately found the first bar and ordered:
lemon pepper wings
cranberry juice
for dinner.
Not my cleanest meal ever.
But travel days are about doing the best you can with what’s available.
And surprisingly, the timing worked out perfectly because I finished eating around 7:45.
Which left me just enough time to get my second workout in by walking laps around the airport terminal while staying close to my gate.
Airport walking is underrated cardio.
Red Eye Flight
The flight technically left about 15 minutes late.
But we taxied out right around 9:15.
And it was completely full.
I tried to sleep.
But realistically?
I was awake almost the entire night.
What I’m Noticing on Restart Day 3
This restart already feels different.
Not because I’m doing everything perfectly.
But because I’m supporting myself better.
There’s more awareness now around:
priorities
structure
timing
energy management
And I’m realizing more and more that alignment is less about controlling yourself…
and more about learning how to lead yourself.
Restart Day 3 Complete
Airport workout.
Holiday traffic.
Red eye flight.
Still aligned.
