06/09/2026
💜 BIRTHDAY WEEK OFFICIALLY BEGINS TODAY 💜
Today we're heading to New York, and I'm kicking off my birthday celebration in a way that feels incredibly special to me.
This birthday feels different.
Not because it's a milestone birthday.Not because it's a golden year.And honestly, not even because of the trip... even though the trip itself is going to be unforgettable.
It feels different because, truthfully, there was a point where I wasn't sure I'd make it here to see it.
The past year has been one of the darkest seasons of my life. And I think when people hear words like depression, mental illness, or "dark times," they often look at someone's life from the outside and think, "But what do they even have to be sad about?" As if it were ever that simple.
What people don't always understand is that depressive episodes don't care how blessed your life looks from the outside. They don't ask permission before they show up.
Over the past year, I've been working really hard to find myself again. Closing chapters that should have been closed long ago, and grieving some that probably should have never been opened to begin with. I've been trying to figure out what genuinely makes me happy.
And honestly?
I still don't fully know.
But what I do know is that moments matter.
Making them.Sharing them.Being present enough to actually feel them while they're happening.
That's a big part of where this project came from.
At the end of the day, I genuinely love making people happy. I've been searching for what that looks like in this chapter of my life, and somewhere along the way these little travelers appeared.
The messages from people who found one.The tags.The excitement.The stories.
Every single one gave me another moment.
And all I know is that I want more of those.
So this batch is different.
Over 250 Tiny Chaos, Big Happy travelers are coming with me from MSY in New Orleans all the way to New York City and beyond.
And on the back of every single one is a handwritten message from me.
Not printed.Not copied.Not generated.
Written by hand.
Two hundred and fifty little reminders, thoughts, encouragements, and pieces of my heart.
Maybe they'll make someone smile.Maybe they'll make someone laugh.Maybe they'll end up tucked away in a drawer somewhere.
Or maybe they'll find exactly the right person at exactly the right moment.
And honestly, I think that's my favorite possibility of all.
Over the next week, these will be hidden in airports, around New York, and anywhere else our adventures take us. Some will be found immediately. Some may sit quietly waiting for their person.
If you happen to find one, I'd absolutely love to know. Tag me, message me, or simply know that somewhere out there, a woman celebrating another trip around the sun is smiling because our paths crossed for a moment.
Because maybe that's what this birthday is really about.
Not presents.Not milestones.Not even the destination.
Just moments.
Tiny moments of connection.Tiny moments of joy.Tiny moments that remind us we're not alone.
Thank you for letting me celebrate another year.Thank you for letting me celebrate another moment.
💜
Tiny Chaos. Big Happy.
XOXO,Rachel
