I haven’t lost my mind. I just misplaced it somewhere between summer vacation planning, three loyalty program logins, an open cart of sunscreen I forgot to close, and a Google search titled “best way to use Amex points without getting completely screwed.”
There are currently 10 tabs open across three devices. Some are for work. Some are for life. One tab is a list of summer books I swear I’m going to read. Another is a deep dive on mosquito bite remedies. There’s also the one that’s been open for two weeks because I can’t bring myself to read an article titled “10 Things Financially Stable People Do Before 9 AM.”
Then I realized it was May.
When the Tabs Start Multiplying
Now I have 47 tabs open — flights, points, blackout dates, school calendars, and a growing sense that anything with both air-conditioning and availability is going to cost more than it should.
I Understand Points. I’m Just Not Traveling Solo.
For me, it’s AMEX and the Marriott program. I’ve got a decent stash of points, and I’ve been trying to use them with Alaska Airlines — one of the better options for West Coast travel — but they don’t partner with AMEX.
Aspirational travel works a lot better when you’re booking for one or two people — not trying to coordinate a whole crew with different arrival times and opinions on aisle seats.
The “points guys” rarely mention families — unless it’s a newborn in business class or a kid under 10 smiling at the free cookies. Their version of a family trip — backed by industry connections and massive points balances — is vastly different from what most of us are working with.
I read the posts, pick up what I can, and do my best — knowing full well I’m leaving points, perks, and probably real money on the table.
Which, naturally, leads to more open tabs. And more late-night Reddit threads where I’m just looking for reassurance that I didn’t completely blow it.
(Spoiler: no one reassures you. They’re too busy arguing about optimal transfer ratios and calling each other “casuals.”)
Somewhere Between a Vacation and a Backyard Remodel
Eventually, I give up on planning and start thinking maybe we’ll just stay home. I picture new patio furniture, a summer reading stack, lawn games for family night, and one of those backyard BBQ evenings that looks picturesque — right up until someone storms off during game night and the citronella candle ends up in the potato salad.
So now I’ve got tabs open for patio sets, deck stain colors, backyard lighting, and possibly childhood trauma related to game night. The topics keep shifting. The tabs keep multiplying.
Eventually, the devices can only handle so many tabs before deciding which ones to close becomes its own kind of mental load.
It’s late. Another day has gone by without a plan or a clear direction.
But I do know that patio furniture can cost as much as an airline ticket — and I’ve learned there are 19 kinds of travel-size sunscreen, four ways to waste your points, and at least one thread warning me not to wear flip-flops to the airport.
My brain is exhausted.
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