In our hyper-connected world, it’s easy to take the conveniences of modern technology for granted. But what would you do if the internet and power suddenly went down? This might sound like a far-off dystopian scenario, but recent events, like the CrowdStrike outage, have shown how quickly critical systems can fail, leaving millions without access to the tools they depend on. Planning for such possibilities isn’t alarmist—it’s practical.

Recently, I’ve been having conversations with good friends about a topic we all choose to avoid: death. Specifically, their death… and mine.

Despite death being an unavoidable fate that’s simply part of life, we all avoid discussing it for fear of conjuring the Fates. However, what results from our avoidance is a grand mess left for others to untangle, often at considerable legal and emotional cost.

As I sit in a quiet corner, a cup of herbal tea cradled between my palms, I find myself musing over questions that may be familiar to many women at my stage of life. Mine seem to have been crafted from the fabric of my experiences and the looming unknowns that color my future. There’s an undeniable uncertainty surrounding the years ahead; a blend of excitement and trepidation; a delicate dance between hope and uncertainty.