In the Midst of Angels

A 52-Hour Odyssey to a new world: a love story Written on September 3rd 2023

“Call on your angels and they respond. Think it's wild? Step outside, let nature surround you, and ask for a sign. They show up,” a woman on TikTok shares with me through my 6 inch phone screen.

While I don’t physically step outside to summon my angels, especially given the relentless heat of the past 40 days, I do know this to be true – that our inner beliefs, thoughts, and patterns shape our universe. That there's an unseen force, as potent as gravity or time, molding our spiritual reality.

When this message reaches me, life is feeling fast. Between work and travel, my energy is low and inconsistent. I experience inspiration in bursts that I channel into my projects at work. I recognize the growth, the opportunity, and the novelty of each experience - Germany, Nashville, and soon Michigan. Yet, there's a sense of detachment. Like I’m here, but not really. When did it become like this? I acknowledge that even in this headspace, life is beautiful, and these feelings come and go like seasons. I know this to be true, but it still feels weird when you experience it. I look for signs to remind me of the interconnectedness of everything, that this discomfort is part of it. As if on cue, the universe begins to sing its own narrative of connections.

It’s 7:30 am at the airport in Charlotte and Train’s “Calling All Angels” blasts over the loudspeaker.

The day before, we left at 11 am to make the 3 hour drive to drop Kody with my dad before heading to the Houston airport another 45 minutes away. A client calls in the parking lot to pitch a rough cut that's far from being ready to share.

Mechanical issues on our plane hold us out on the tarmac for a few hours. Because of this delay, we're missing our connection out of Dallas to Grand Rapids and get stuck in Charlotte for the night. We end up waiting in line for an hour and half to pick up hotel, taxi, and $12 meal vouchers. We're tired but we have each other. I wrap my arms around Joe anytime, and he holds me. Physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Airport and travel mishaps are no stranger to me, so I develop a way of staying positive through them, and so does Joe. We head to the hotel, eat microwavable lean cuisines, and go to bed around 2 am. We wake up at 5:50 to catch a cab back to the airport. 7:20 am back to Dallas, and then to Grand Rapids.

The airport is wild. Despite getting there early we're slightly concerned about making it through the long security line in time. Ding - Joe’s phone notifies him that our 7:20 flight delays - and the delay pushes beyond our layover time. We won't make our connecting flight. Joe quickly finds a direct flight on his phone and books it. It's at 4:30 pm.

A wonderful woman at the American Airlines Charlotte front desk puts us on standby for the direct flight to Grand Rapids, at 9:20 am. We get through security - there's a drug sniffing dog - I imagine that's what holds up the line, but it’s less busy now.

When we get through, it seems like everyone has already taken off. Aside from us, some quiet travelers, and some high spirited airport employees, the airport feels empty.

Joe and I go to the bathroom and I come out first. While I wait, I hear…“I need a sign. Let me know you’re here. All of these lines blur over the atmosphere. I need a reason for the way things have to be…I…IIIII… am calling on you angels.”

I laugh. My mind takes me on a journey back to the TikTok video Id see a few days earlier. Joe comes out and soon I'm singing and dancing. I don’t consciously or literally call on my angels, but to me, this is a sign that they're here. I feel grateful to have a partner that dances with me in the airport after a challenging travel day and a night with little sleep.

We don’t get on the 9:20 flight, and after a series of mishaps, our journey to Traverse City ends up taking us about 36 hours, with a woman passing out due to the heat. Despite the chaos, there are signs throughout the journey that my angels are present. All I have to do is look into Joe's eyes to see the infinite love and potential in the universe. His energy surrounds me, and I feel at ease.

Upon arrival, we celebrate marriage on a beautiful ranch in Michigan with Joe's wonderful and growing family. We spend our time dancing, playing, and creating new memories. I love building experiences with Joe and am grateful for the opportunity to build relationships with the people who shape him.

The wedding is full of depth and beauty, and I keep finding myself emotional at the idea that I see this in my future. As the bride walks down the aisle, I see myself, overwhelmed with love and gratitude for a man I trust with my heart. When I hear the fathers' speeches, I think of our families, so full of love and joy and pride for all of our growth, and that we find partners so beautifully fit for our uniqueness. If weddings are a mirror, I see a future that fills me with warm, sensational feelings of unlimited possibility of closeness, community, and connection.

When we get back to Austin, we are wiped. The journey home is long and riddled with flight issues too, but we make the most of it. I dive right back into work and spend the next few days feeling depleted and worn down, but determined to show up for the life I want. For the life I’m creating.

On Monday, I attend a free session focused on my career values: Love, Freedom, Depth, Authenticity, Prosperity, and Impact. Through this introspective exercise, I uncover a block in my ability to fully embrace love. I’m given some exercises centered around these values, and I notice they shift my mindset - harmonizing my thoughts and realigning me. As the week progresses, my mojo dojo gradually reawakens. By Friday, I'm sitting in Zilker Park, envisioning a future I'd never dared to imagine before. A future full of boundless, unconditional love; one of family, growth, creation, and the ultimate freedom.

Today in the car, Joe looks at me, as the song he queues up hits the speaker. "Calling on your Angels", by Train. We start the song over so we can sing it from the top, reminiscing about how we belt this song at the top of our lungs on our drive home from the airport. It dawns on me that this song will echo through the chapters of our life. I realize in that moment that with him, every challenge is surmountable. When I call on my angels, I can feel Joe's love, support, and the feelings of unlimited potential. Our love is cosmic.

If barriers do exist within my heart, I pledge to dismantle them, to continue to carve out space for our love to evolve and flourish. Joe is more than a partner; he embodies love, trust, and divine protection. In him, I see my soulmate. Together, we are an unstoppable force, our love a symphony that resonates beyond the confines of this Earth. Otherworldly.

To the man I met at Zilker park exactly a year ago today, you are a beautiful mosaic of courage, vulnerability, strength, and love. I thank you, I love you, I honor you. Life is a series of unpredictable moments and journeys, but whenever I need to call on my angels, I reach out a hand to meet yours, and I know there is such thing as heaven on earth.