Life lately has felt like survival mode on autopilot — juggling school, a full-time job, and work travel while watching systems unravel around me. After my recent trip to D.C., the emotional weight of mass layoffs, deepening apathy, and the rising celebration of cruelty hit hard. I’ve been thinking a lot about the shift I’ve witnessed in people I once trusted — how fear-based morality has mutated into something darker. But in the middle of it all, I’m still creating. Still crocheting. Still holding onto small acts of softness in a world that feels increasingly hard. This post is part reflection, part reckoning, and part gratitude for the community that keeps showing up.