When my children were infants, I would watch from the rearview mirror as they finally relented to sleep en route to our final destination, blissfully unaware of their future plans and happily along for the ride. “How disorienting,” my mom and I would remark to one another as we watched them return to consciousness, confused and a little grouchy, strapped into a hunk of plastic and resting on the booth of our favorite sushi restaurant or atop a converted toddler seat at the Mexican place we love so much.

For a baby, these moments of perceived teleportation are no crazier than most other waking moments, with every day bringing a new awareness of their surroundings and new physical developments. Ability to walk or not, life comes at you fast, and babies just roll with the punches.

Each year, inconceivably, time seems to go faster. The years pass by in a haze, and suddenly, you’re like that infant strapped into a chambray-colored car seat tucked away in the corner of a fast-casual restaurant, desperately trying to figure out your surroundings. How disorienting.

In many ways, I feel like I fell asleep back in 2017 as a bright-eyed and eager intern at inRegister. And then suddenly, one day, I opened my eyes, and there I was: editor.

When I think about my name going at the front of this milestone anniversary issue, I can’t help but feel, well, disoriented. How did I get here anyway?

Let me lay out the basics so you and I can try to figure this out.

Unsure of what I wanted to do with my life and my degree from LSU, I took a job as an editorial intern with inRegister. As I’m sure rings true for many of you, inRegister has always been in my life. Reading the magazine was a ritual for my family, and, with complete disregard for sounding dramatic, former editor Ashley Sexton Gordon was and is my idol. I have vivid memories of reading her column every month, and the idea of having her as a mentor had me vying for an internship that I was unqualified for.

Fast forward three months, and I landed a full-time position as community writer. Pinch me. I had never been so excited to sit in a cubicle, and former managing editor and editor Kelli Bozeman was so kind to show me the ropes of the corporate world.

Three years later, Kelli offered me the job of assistant editor. I eagerly accepted, of course. And then, after three more years, I was tapped as editor. Time really does fly right by.

Much like my sweet boys falling asleep in the car, I started my career with inRegister blissfully unaware of what the future would hold. And sure, maybe I should be a better planner or make a vision board or write a five-year plan. But with life coming at me so fast, why waste the time?

As you read through the commemorative 35th anniversary issue, I hope you feel the love that the entire inRegister staff—editorial, sales, freelancers—put into every single page. With this issue, we hope to honor the profound legacy built by the incredible female editors who came before and who you can hear from here: Chris Russo Blackwood, Jackie Bartkiewicz, Pam Bordelon, Ashley Sexton Gordon and Kelli Bozeman. I’m not sure if they’re as disoriented as I am, but I know our commitment to each of you is the reason we do what we do.

Here’s to the future—whatever it may hold.