a different kind of life
i started writing this at 11:27am on January 5th. we are getting the keys to the first LMNL space today and it feels like i’m having a kid.
last night i lay awake, thinking about the way life unfolds. my siblings have houses and cars, spouses and kids. there were times i felt like i’m standing at the edge of that path, watching them walk ahead. there’s this tiny voice in my head that quietly shouts shouldn’t you want that too? but today, i get the keys to my own thing—a space that feels just as alive and fragile as any child. i get to feed it, water it, and watch it grow.
this isn’t just my thing. i’ve got a team of people that i trust with my life. they’re standing beside me, ready to build something that will stretch out beyond all of us. this place, this LMNL space, isn’t just four walls and a lease. it feels like a seed we’re all planting together, something that could grow into a staple of the culture, something bigger than just me.
you see, four years ago i dropped out of college. at the time, i thought i had failed. i wasn’t where i wanted to be, and it hurt. my dreams back then were simpler—more traditional. i loved someone deeply. i thought a steady job, a house, and a partner would bring me peace. watching my siblings step into those lives felt like watching the “right” way to live unfold. but now, standing here, about to open the door to this new chapter, i realized how grateful i am for the path i am on.
the past four years have been a mess of dead ends. i’ve chased things down that didn’t pan out. i got frustrated, lost, and disillusioned more times than i can count. but somewhere in all that noise, i found myself here—signing papers that say i’m a business owner now. it’s funny how that works.
at some point, i got so exhausted trying to force life into shape that i just stood still. i let the world spin around me and waited to see where i was supposed to go. and somehow, the path led me here.
today, as i hold this new life in my hands, i feel everything at once. pensive, scared, reflective, excited. it’s a strange thing, watching your life pivot in real-time. i know this is just the beginning, but right now, the weight of possibility feels as heavy as the keys in my hand.
i don’t know exactly what LMNL will become, but i know it’s alive. and i know i’m ready to show up every day to see what it grows into.
rule 1: show up
rule 2: make space
