This is a wrap on Season 2! Thanks so much for listening. For this episode, I brought on a very special guest, my very own mother. We focus on the story of how she found out she was pregnant with me. It has some twists and turns! We also get into:

- How her upbringing shaped her early adulthood

- What she wanted to be when she grew up

- The emotions and her mentality around this time

- Generational cycles, repeated patterns, and double standards

- The support systems in place to help her (which included close friends and Planned Parenthood)

Mentions:

The History of Family Leave Policies in the United States

Teen Births in the United States: Overview and Recent Trends

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: hello@thisclockpod.com / Behind-the-scenes + reflections: thisclockpod.substack.com / Instagram: @thisclockpod

Meet Cynthia. She is a close family friend of mine. Through her teens and 20s, she had a pretty normal life and always added a touch of realism to her perspective on things. In her 20s, she met her now husband and they were building a life together. In her 30s, while they were planning their dream destination wedding, Cynthia received a diagnosis that changed everything, including her timeline for marriage and motherhood. In this episode, we talk about:

• How her upbringing and realist point of view shaped her thoughts on marriage and motherhood

• She tells the story of how she met her now husband post-college, and we both share our engagement stories

• The shocking diagnosis in her 30s that forced her to cancel her dream destination wedding

• Learning how to lean on others for help while going through treatment

• After the diagnosis, making the very quick decision to opt for IVF treatments

• Figuring out how to live life as a person in remission and her new perspectives on life

• Looking toward her future and pursuing it with intensity and intention

Let’s Stay Connected:
Email: hello@thisclockpod.com / Behind-the-scenes + reflections: thisclockpod.substack.com / Instagram: @thisclockpod

Meet Allen. He is a friend through my husband, Zach. They are both part of a tight-knit group of friends that has kept in touch for over a decade. In this episode, we talk about quite a few different topics, including:

• How he found his friend circles that he considers family (he has at least two!)
• Sharing the importance of hanging out regularly and staying in touch with friends
• Never really wanting to have kids, but loves his role as the fun uncle
• Sharing his thoughts on whether home ownership is still part of the American Dream through the lens of a real estate agent (He shares some real estate tips for those wanting to buy a home, too.)
• Reaching stability in his 40s is something he places a high value on

Mentions:

Allen’s real estate IG page for anyone looking for a home in the LA area! Find him here.

NPR article on the research showing we replace our friends every 7 years.

Let’s Stay Connected:

Email: hello@thisclockpod.com / Behind-the-scenes + reflections: thisclockpod.substack.com / Instagram: @thisclockpod