Five years ago, I sat under a tree and cried.

It was Cinco de Mayo 2020, and I woke up to an email: I was being laid off from my dream job as a global creative lead at Airbnb, one of 25% of the company being let go that morning as the pandemic hit the travel industry hard.

I walked to the park in a daze, fully masked (remember those days?), found a tree, and broke down. Around me, life went on. Kids laughed. Dogs barked. Sun filtered through branches like nothing had changed.

But for me, everything had.

Layoffs surged to their highest levels since COVID-19 as of July 2025, so if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you or someone you love has felt this sting recently, too.

First, I’m sorry that happened to you. I know how disorienting and painful job loss can be. The grief is re

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