I woke up with that familiar flutter of anxiety in my chest. Not because of my surroundings, but maybe because stepping out of my little cocoon of security always brings a wave of nerves. Jordan and I were headed to Cleveland to see Sleep Token, and while I couldn’t wait (this trip has been so needed), my heart still raced. Sometimes excitement and fear feel the same when they’re bubbling under the surface. I am not good at flying and if you know me, I get very over stimulated. So to travel with me is a big deal lol. Even though I had all of these emotions, the universe has a funny way of reminding me and showing up for me, in ways i need.
At the airport, Jordan and I laughed about my hair. I’d just gotten it done the day before. After weeks of complaining about how bad my roots had grown out. Of course, when I stepped up to pre-check with my 2016 license (roots on full display in that photo), it refused to scan. I looked at him and said, “Maybe it’s my roots,” and we cracked up. Sure enough, I pulled out my passport with last year’s blonder, brighter version of me and it scanned right away. Smooth sailing. A silly little cosmic wink that told me: you’re good, Alli. You’re gonna be fine.
And that became the theme of the whole trip. These tiny divine reminders. The kindness of a flight attendant, the warm smile of a stranger passing by, the sight of men praying east in the terminal. Watching them in their sacred practice, I felt like invisible hands were protecting me, holding me steady. It’s wild how moments you don’t expect can crack you wide open with peace.
Stepping Into Cleveland
Cleveland surprised me in the best way. The city is lined with gorgeous architecture, streets full of character, and people who were nothing but welcoming. We started at 27 Club Coffee — MGK’s spot and dove into chicken and waffles with incredible coffee. That’s when I gasped: right there on the counter, a penny heads-up. I’ve been flipping pennies for days, giving strangers luck, and finally the universe slipped one back to me. It felt like a whispered message: your luck, your blessings, they circle back when you give them away freely. I yelled to the cash register and said “Finally, MY lucky penny!” She smiled and said “You deserve that penny.” It reminds me, sometimes people need to laugh as well<3
We met a man named Mark from Staten Island who chatted with us like we’d been friends forever. We wandered the mall, where I made the sweetest Build-A-Bear. I named her Kuromi — fiery soul, restless spirit — but she instantly became my little Romi, because she loves to roam. She was my tiny reminder that comfort and support can come in unexpected forms.
And then, in true universe fashion, synchronicity showed up again. At Spencer’s, I asked a girl where the bathroom was. Hours later, at the venue, there she was again. We hugged, laughed, and I couldn’t help but think…. there are no coincidences. People circle back into your story for reasons we don’t always see at first.
Even in the long merch line, when I was ready to give up and walk away, the universe placed a sweet couple beside Jordan. They stayed with her the entire two-and-a-half hours while I ducked out for food and a drink. Little angels showing up in everyday clothes. I am not very good at standing in line and being patient hehehe.
The Night That Changed Me
And then came the concert. Sleep Token (link to spotify). I can hardly put into words what it meant. It wasn’t just music; it was sanctuary. It was medicine. It was a prayer whispered through sound and rhythm.
They played the songs that have carried me through shadows, the ones that held me when nothing else could. As each note rose and fell and I couldn’t hold back the tears. I released everything I had been carrying. I felt cracked open, raw, and yet completely whole. Seen in a way that words never manage. Healed in places silence could never reach.
We returned to the hotel in that post-concert glow, exhausted but electrified. I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning, unable to settle because my spirit was still vibrating. And you know what? I didn’t mind at all. Because for the first time in a long while, I felt fully, unmistakably alive.
It’s crazy, in a good way, how a band/music can do that to you. Make you realize so many things and change your life in so many ways. That is sleep token for me.
Coming Home, Changed
Sunday morning came too soon, and flights were a little bumpy. Which would normally send me into a spiral but the universe kept sending kindness. A couple noticed my nerves and prayed for me mid-flight. She even said a little prayer for me. Back in Charleston, I hugged a golden retriever outside the airport like it had been waiting just for me.
And that’s when it hit me: travel cracks you open. It takes you out of your safety net, throws you into unfamiliar streets, and then shows you — again and again — that you’re never really alone. Light finds you. Through strangers. Through laughter. Through music. Through pennies, flamingos, bracelets traded in line. Through small kindnesses that feel like home, even far from it.
I came back tired, yes, but with a heart so full I could burst. And I realized: this is why we can’t be afraid to go. To move. To relocate. To explore. Because home isn’t one fixed place. Home is the feeling of being held by the world, wherever you land.
Charleston is my home. But so was Cleveland, for a few fleeting days. And soon, Japan will be too. Because home isn’t about permanence. It’s about presence. It’s about trusting that the universe will meet you halfway when you’re brave enough to step outside your comfort zone.
Gratitude Notes
- For strangers who smiled, prayed, hugged, and traded little gifts.
- For MGK’s café and that lucky penny.
- For a Build-A-Bear named Kuromi who reminded me it’s okay to roam.
- For Jordan’s friendship and all the laughter in between.
- For Sleep Token, for music that heals what words cannot.
- For the reminder that not everything has to end badly, and that fear doesn’t have to define me.
Cleveland taught me that the universe is always speaking. Through synchronicities, through kindness, through music, through connection. You just have to listen.
And I promise you this: if you’re scared to take that leap. Whether it’s moving cities, getting on a plane, or stepping into something unknown. The world will rise up to meet you. Home will be there waiting, in forms you never expected. 🌙✨
oxo, Alli ❤
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