My Weekend

Life has a funny way of surprising you. Some weekends, you think it’s going to be the usual—kids, errands, and maybe a bit of quiet time—and then something unexpected happens that steers your life in a new direction. This past weekend, something like that happened to me, and it was all because of a simple trip to the In-N-Out Burger in San Diego.

But before I dive into that, let me back up a bit.

For those of you who don’t know me yet, I’m @barbie.mama. I’m in my mid-30s, and my two kids are my absolute world. They’re the best thing that ever happened to me, even if their father—well, that’s a different story. After our second child was born, he left. I’ll never forget the day he sat me down and told me he’d fallen in love with someone else. I remember the way my heart raced, thinking of all the possibilities. But what I didn’t expect was for him to confess that he’d fallen for a man—one who liked to dress in women’s clothing, no less.

It was a shock, to say the least. But I’ve always believed that life throws things at us that we’re meant to handle, even if it feels impossible at first. So, I’ve raised our kids on my own since then, and I’m proud of the life we’ve built together. It hasn’t been easy, but we’re a strong little unit, and there’s no one I love more than my babies.

Now, being a single mom means I’m busy most of the time. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get attention—mostly from men who think a woman on her own must be looking for something more. And sure, I’ll admit, I’ve been told I’m attractive, but after everything that happened with my ex, I’ve had no interest in diving into anything serious. The men who try to get my attention, they’re not bad, but they’re just not what I’m looking for. Most of them seem to think I need saving, when in reality, I’m doing just fine on my own.

So, this weekend, after a whirlwind of soccer practices and laundry (isn’t laundry a never-ending task?), I decided to treat the kids to lunch at In-N-Out. It was one of those perfect Southern California days—blue skies, warm sunshine, and just enough of a breeze to keep things comfortable. The kids were thrilled, of course, and for me, it was a nice break from the usual routine.

We were sitting at one of the outside tables, enjoying our food, when I noticed a couple of interesting characters nearby. I wouldn’t have given them much thought, except they were behaving a little strangely. The first guy caught my eye because he seemed… well, kind of rough around the edges. Like he hadn’t quite gotten the memo on social norms. He had this wild energy about him, like he might burst out into a dance or tell off a stranger at any moment. I think he was wearing sunglasses, even though it was getting closer to dusk, and I remember thinking he looked like someone who might thrive on pushing people’s buttons just for fun.

Then there was the other one. He was trying so hard to blend in, but there was something about him that made him stand out. It wasn’t just his awkward way of trying to act casual or the way he kept adjusting his shirt like he was uncomfortable in his own skin. It was more like he was trying to seem like he belonged there, but something felt off. Like he was constantly proving something—to himself, or maybe to the world.

They weren’t there for the food, that much was clear. They were hovering around one of the benches near the entrance, looking at something stuck to the seat. I couldn’t quite see what it was, but they were both really focused on it, taking pictures like it was some kind of hidden treasure. I think at one point, the scruffy guy made a joke, and the other one half-laughed, though I got the sense he wasn’t entirely comfortable.

I didn’t want to stare too much, but their little photo shoot caught my curiosity. Eventually, they left, and once I finished up with the kids, I wandered over to see what had grabbed their attention.

And that’s when I saw it. It was a sticker—nothing fancy, just one of those slapped-on-the-bench kinds. But there was something about it that made me look closer. It had a logo and a little web address that I didn’t recognize.

I snapped a picture of it at the time and went no further…but I thought about it all afternoon, and when the kids were finally in bed later that night, I decided to check it out.

That’s how I stumbled onto Hive.

I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but I’ve always been open to new things, and honestly, this place feels like it’s filled with the kind of people I’ve been hoping to meet. It’s not just the content or the crypto, though that’s fascinating in itself. It’s the community, the creativity, and the genuine excitement people seem to have about being here.

Looking back, I have to wonder who those two guys were. They didn’t exactly scream “social media influencers,” but they had clearly stumbled onto something of interest. Maybe they’ve been around here for a while, lurking under usernames I haven’t recognized yet. Or maybe they’re just wandering souls like the rest of us, figuring things out as they go. Either way, I owe them a quiet thanks. That sticker led me here, and I have a feeling I’m going to like it.

As for the rest of the weekend, it was pretty much back to normal after that. We spent Sunday at the park, chasing the kids around and soaking up the sun before the week started up again. But there’s something exciting about knowing I’ve found a new space, a new platform, and hopefully, new people to connect with.

Who knew a trip to In-N-Out would turn into this? Life’s full of surprises, and I’m just here for the ride.

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𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝒾𝓇, 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓂𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒