going nowhere but going everywhere
how I've been killing time until I am allowed to get pregnant again...and how I travel well without going entirely broke.
If you’re new here, here’s the very quick version: last year, my ninth pregnancy turned out to be ectopic (I have no living children, for context). When my doctor rushed me into surgery to remove the pregnancy, she found cancer.
Eight weeks of chemo later, I’m cancer-free—but I’m not medically cleared to try for another pregnancy for at least 12 months.
Obviously, that’s a trade-off I can live with. I’m not crazy.
With all that in mind, I made a decision: I’m pulling out all the stops in 2025 and traveling everywhere I can. When I told my therapist, she said, “I love this for you,” because she knows how much better I feel when I’m away. There’s nothing like the clarity that comes from being really, really far from home. And from problems.
Here are all of the places I’ve made it so far: Inverness, Edinburgh, London x2, New York x2, Copenhagen, Prague, Cancun, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon.
Now you’re caught up.
As a normal person with a normal job that occasionally gets to lay down when she flies, I will share two big things that make this possible for me: having a strong understanding of points/miles and packing efficiently.
Points Are Currency
I have a lot of credit cards, but most of my purchases go on two: the Chase Sapphire Preferred* and the AAdvantage World Elite Mastercard. The Sapphire comes with a steep annual fee, but we make full use of the perks, so it more than pays for itself. And since we’re based in Dallas, loyalty to American Airlines actually makes sense—most of our flights run through DFW anyway.
I strategize every purchase: stacking loyalty programs, tracking deals, and transferring points when the redemption value is high. Just having the AAdvantage card in my wallet gets me elevated perks—like extra miles on AA’s hotel booking site—even if I don’t use that card to pay. So I’ll book through AAdvantage Hotels to get the bonus miles and Loyalty Points, but pay with my Sapphire to earn even more points.
Double dipping is incredibly satisfying.
If you’re curious about points but not ready to commit to a credit card (totally fair), I highly recommend exploring shopping portals as an easy entry point. They’re a low-risk way to start earning miles or hotel points on purchases you’re already making.
I personally use the AAdvantage eShopping portal and have the Chrome plug-in installed, so it alerts me when a retailer I’m browsing is partnered with American Airlines. It’s seamless—and the brands are surprisingly everyday: Instacart, CVS, I even earn points when I place an order to replenish my contacts. You just activate the deal and check out like normal…but earn miles and loyalty points toward your AA status.
The key to this is not to spend more but to let your existing purchases work harder for you.
*I have shared my referral link here. Chase has a lower-tier version, the Chase Sapphire Preferred which is a GREAT travel card with an Annual Fee of $99. Owen and I carried the Preferred for a few years before we decided to upgrade to the Reserve.
Packing as an Art Form
I don’t pack outfits. I pack systems.
I usually start with the 3-3-3 method* and adjust once I get a feel for the vibe of the trip. Ground rule: if it’s not versatile, it’s not coming. Period. I pack like a stylist—every piece has to earn its seat in my suitcase by working at least three different ways.
It sounds intense, but once you start packing this way, it becomes second nature. And you might also discover that you love wearing scarves as tops and button up shirts as skirts!
I begin by laying out the non-negotiables—the pieces I know I want to bring—and build from there. Usually, a pattern starts to emerge: a color palette, a silhouette, a mood. That unspoken theme makes styling everything else much easier (and, honestly, more fun).
The only exceptions? Occasion wear (I won’t lie, I love a dress code) or the occasional LiNNY piece I bring for street style content. But even those are curated with purpose.
I’ve truly got it down to an art.
Now—what are we packing it all in?
We’re a carry-on-only household. No matter the trip length. No matter the destination. I’ve done 2–3 week European vacations with just two bags, and yes—it’s absolutely possible.
We do this for two main reasons. First, it gets us out of the airport and into the adventure faster. Imagine standing for 40 minutes at a baggage carousel when Rome is outside. Second, luggage handling is where so many trips go south. Lost bags, delayed bags, mystery stains... I’d rather keep everything with me and eliminate the drama altogether.
I use the Away Carry-On and pair it with the Bagsmart Weekender—which qualifies as a personal item but still holds a ton. All my clothes go into packing cubes (we love these compression packing cubes), which go straight into the suitcase. I keep the weekender reserved for in-flight essentials: toiletries, headphones, laptop, magazines, xanny, etc. In winter, I might stuff a few bulkier items in there (sweaters take up space!), but I try to keep it light to make room for all the treasures (international copies of VOGUE and about 12 bags of Percy Pigs) I collect along the way.
*If you are unfamiliar, this method is packing 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 pairs of shoes. I actually did a pretty in-depth rundown of my packing list and method for the LiNNY Blog back in January before my trip to the UK, you can read/watch more here!
But does it work?
The short answer, yeah.
The longer answer… yes and it hurts.
A few months ago I accidentally skipped a few days of my meds and started to get the whooshes (my depressed girlies know) … from there, I found myself in a bad pattern of inconsistently taking my pills. And, to nobody’s surprise, I also found myself loathing life!
This led me to question everything, mostly: is my happiness even real?
“I feel like I am taking medicine to make other people comfortable” I think were my exact words to my psychiatrist. “Because I am actually very sad and this feels like a concealer.”
When I broke down to my husband about it, I said it felt like “everyone” was just trying to get me through the day rather than help the actual problem (in my mind, carrying a pregnancy to term and delivering a healthy baby is the only fix for my problems). When he said that getting me through the day is the help, I was frustrated…and a little heartbroken. But after some time to reflect, I understand. And I don’t even think it’s a bad thing.
I have to get from point A to point B. I may as well try to enjoy it, real or fabricated.
…and I have a tough time believing the joy I felt wading in the Mediterranean wasn’t real.
xx