Leslie Venetz

I am currently do something INSANE.

I left my laptop at home .... for THREE weeks while I'm on holiday in Italy.


Yes, I brought my work phone for check-ins on emails and staying on top of LinkedIn replies, but I'm talking like 4 hours a week instead of 4 days a week.


I realized that as much as I talk about work life balance and having space to breath and FREEDOM... I've not been walking the walk as much I would like.

I work a 4-day week which is a gift.

I do work remotely and use that to spend lots of time with my family in Montana and we got to spend 6 weeks working remotely in S American and the following year spent a month working in Guatemala.

So - you know - I just had it fixed in my head that I was already traveling and spending time with family and living the life that people dream of so I just never really logged off for more than a 3-day weekend.


Last year when my family started talking about what we should do for my mom's 70th and we decided to all meet in Sorrento for a week, I knew I wanted to use that to give my brain the long term work break it was craving.

AND I'M DOING IT.

We landed in Italy this morning and I am sans laptop.



Now please proceed to the comments and tell me you're proud of me and it will be okay.


P.S. The route is Rome > Naples > Sorrento > Florence

I JUST SAT NEXT TO COMMON on my flight from NYC to Chicago


& I will not be chill about it on LinkedIn in because I used up all of my chill during the flight



His album Finding Forever came out a few months before I moved to Chicago.

I’d already been listening to Be. cover to cover and The Light was on my most played songs in college FR.

That first summer in Chicago, Common was my soundtrack.


They say to never meet your idols but they were clearly not talking about this man who was so kind, like so kind.

I listened to Finding Forever cover to cover during the flight.

Sitting next to an artist I’ve cherished for 25 years while listening to the album that defined one of the biggest transition periods of my life was so dang cool.

Core memory.


Like yall I just talked to Common and he gave me a gift. I simply cannot.


✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨


Who do you wish you could sit next to on a flight?

I HAVE VERY IMPORTANT NEWS.

It took me 9 months but I did it.

I finally recorded my audio book. Praise be.

And also I am sorry that it took so so long and y'all had to ask me for it so many times.


BUT I DID IT.

It was NOT fun.

It was exhausting.

It made my throat muscles hurt.

I think I used like a full tube of chapstick.


BUT IT'S DONE and I didn't use AI because even though it would have been sooooooo much cheaper and easier I just couldn't stomach it. UGH.


Comment AUDIO & I'll be sure you're the first to get a audio book copy and I'll figure out some fun, free giveaway for everybody who downloads it in week 1!!


YAYYYYY for AUDIO!!