The Nomadic Okie

12/21/2025

Hello friends, honest question, when you say you miss “back then,” what are you really missing? I wrote about it here.

Hello friends, Nostalgia is sneaky. It shows up dressed like a warm scarf and a soft song, and before you know it, you are scrolling old photos with a lump in your throat, convinced you were happie…

08/11/2025

Left at the Curb

Hello friends, The night before all of this, I was supposed to be with a friend who is more like family. She is a fellow crew member, a blonde bombshell with the confidence and intelligence and loo…

07/29/2025

I went to Amsterdam alone….after canceled plans, missed flights, and the kind of chaos that almost made me turn back. But somewhere between crooked buildings, a broken suitcase wheel, drag queen bingo, and tulips just starting to bloom, I found something I didn’t expect: myself. This isn’t a story about a perfect trip. It’s about choosing to go anyway. To be still. To show up. And to finally stop waiting for someone else to tell me I’m enough....

I went to Amsterdam alone….after canceled plans, missed flights, and the kind of chaos that almost made me turn back. But somewhere between crooked buildings, a broken suitcase wheel, drag queen bi…

07/23/2025

This one’s different. It’s not just another travel story or layover recap. It’s personal. It’s heavy. It’s something I’ve carried for a long time and finally put into words.

It’s called The Pill That Doesn’t Exist.

I wrote it for the kid I used to be, and maybe for someone out there who’s still trying to figure out how to be themselves in a world that makes that feel like a fight.

It’s about growing up in the South, trying to pray the gay away, pushing people away before they could leave me, and losing parts of myself just to make others more comfortable.

Some days I feel proud. Some days I still don’t.

If you’ve ever felt in-between, too much, not enough, or just tired of hiding who you are, this one’s for you.

Thank you for reading.

–Rylee

I would’ve taken it without thinking. If there had been a pill to make me straight, I wouldn’t have paused. I wouldn’t have asked what was in it. I wouldn’t have cared about the side effects. I wou…

05/04/2025

📬✨ NEW BLOG POST: Postcards to the Me I Was
What if the miles you’ve traveled weren’t just about places… but about the person you were becoming?

I used to think I was collecting destinations. But when I finally slowed down and looked back, I saw something else: old versions of myself. Some I miss. Some I barely recognize. Some I only survived by the skin of my teeth.

This isn’t a travel guide. It’s a collection of letters to myself—from beach layovers to Tuscan vineyards, quiet jumpseats to loud, aching moments of joy and grief. It’s for anyone who’s ever wondered: am I still becoming someone worth knowing?

And to the version of me I haven’t met yet…
Nice to meet you, friend. 💌

💭 If it moves you, leave a comment.
🔁 Share it with a friend who needs it.
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I used to think I was just collecting miles—layovers, new cities, another stamp in the passport. But when I looked back, I didn’t see destinations. I saw versions of myself. Some I missed. Some I b…

02/19/2025

Packing light doesn’t mean packing unprepared! After years of flying, I’ve fine-tuned my carry-on to include the essentials that keep me fed, comfortable, and ready for anything—from a HotLogic Mini to heat up my meals to a TSA-approved lock that keeps my bag secure.

Because let’s be real—hunger, bad coffee, and dead phone batteries don’t make for a fun trip. 😅

What’s the one thing you NEVER travel without? Drop your must-haves in the comments—I might need to make some room in my already overstuffed bag!

NomadicOkie.wordpress.com

Packing light doesn’t mean packing unprepared. Over the years, I’ve learned that the right travel essentials can turn a chaotic trip into a smooth adventure. From snacks that save me from hunger-in…

02/19/2025

Friends, it's cold, icy, and downright miserable here in Oklahoma—so let’s escape for a bit, shall we? ☘️ This blog post has been a long time coming, but what better time to finally share my Ireland adventure? From stumbling into Lisdoonvarna’s matchmaking festival (don’t worry, love still isn’t for me) to nearly being tossed overboard on the ferry to Inis Oírr, and standing on the edge of the world at the Cliffs of Moher—this trip was one for the books. So grab a warm drink, settle in, and let’s travel together. 🌊✨

NomadicOkie.Wordpress.com

02/12/2025

I’ve been a flight attendant for years, and in that time, I’ve collected more stories than I can count. There have been flights filled with laughter, flights that tested my patience, and flights that felt like they’d never end. But every now and then, there’s a flight that reminds me why I chose this path in the first place—a flight that makes the chaos, the long hours, and the constant goodbyes worth it. This is the story of one of those flights. A Chance Meeting at 30,000 Feet It began like any other shift....

I’ve been a flight attendant for years, and in that time, I’ve collected more stories than I cancount. There have been flights filled with laughter, flights that tested my patience, and flights tha…

02/03/2025

Hello, friends!

If you haven’t read my latest blog post, “Somebody I Used to Know,” now’s your chance! It’s a story about unexpected encounters and how life has a funny way of reconnecting us with the past.

If you enjoy it, I’d love for you to share it with others—I’d really appreciate it!

📖 Read it here: NomadicOkie.Wordpress.com

Thanks for the support!

01/28/2025

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a new blog, and let me tell you—this one took some time.

I didn’t realize when I started this blog just how much I’d write, rewrite, and sometimes completely trash posts because they didn’t feel right. But this one? I wanted it to feel right. I wanted it to be raw, honest, and as close to the new year as I could make it. And even then, it still took longer than I expected.

So here it is—finally. A post that pulls back the curtain and lets you in. A post about the people we’ve let go, the ones who’ve stayed, and the reflections we face along the way. I hope it resonates with you, and I hope it makes you think.

And yes, I’m still working on a couple of other posts—they’re coming soon, I promise! But for now, take a moment with this one. It’s a bit of my heart, out there for you, friends.

NomadicOkie.Wordpress.com

Let me know what you think, and as always, thank you for reading!

I was in the middle of telling a story—just an ordinary story I’ve told so many times before—when the words slipped out: “somebody I used to know.” It caught me off guard. For a second, I stopped a…

09/25/2024

Wandering Through Tuscany: My Journey with Fattoria Lavacchio and Florence

Hello friends! Tuscany is a place that pulls at your heartstrings with a gentle, insistent tug, like the quiet rustling of olive leaves in the breeze or the soft clinking of wine glasses under a wa…

09/18/2024

Hello, friends! Picture this: me, a flight attendant who lives in the sky, trading in my wings for a passport stamp and heading to Italy for a proper vacation. No uniform, no passenger manifest, no galley trays—just me, my suitcase, and a very determined look in my eye. I figured, “How hard could it be?” After all, I practically live in airports. Spoiler alert: being on the other side of the counter is a whole different ballgame. The Journey Begins: A Near-Miss and a Handsome Hero The trip started with a little suspense....

Hello, friends! Picture this: me, a flight attendant who lives in the sky, trading in my wings for a passport stamp and heading to Italy for a proper vacation. No uniform, no passenger manifest, no…