We schedule date nights. We put work meetings on the calendar weeks in advance. We block time for workouts, studying, client calls, business planning.

But we don’t schedule friend dates.

Somehow we expect friendships to just… survive.

In high school and college, proximity did the work for us. You saw the same people every day. You studied together. Ate together. Walked to class together. Friendship was built into your environment.

Now? There’s no built-in proximity. No shared dorms. No accidental late-night conversations. If you don’t intentionally create time, it doesn’t happen.

And then life gets full.

Babies.
Businesses.
Marriage.
Deadlines.
Dreams.

And friendships quietly move to the bottom of the list — not because they don’t matter, but because they don’t feel urgent.

Add to that the fact that we’re more emotionally mature now. We’ve been hurt before. We have boundaries. We have standards. But we don’t always have the communication skills to match that growth. So instead of saying, “I miss you,” we withdraw. Instead of asking for more effort, we assume we’re too much.

And suddenly, you can have a beautiful, full life… and still feel lonely.

Today I want to talk about adult friendships — why they feel harder than they used to, why they matter more than we admit, and how to build them intentionally in the middle of a very full life.

𝓍𝓍𝒮𝒽𝒶𝓊𝓃𝒶
𝒯𝒶𝓀𝑒𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒴𝑜𝓊𝒩𝑒𝑒𝒹 & ℒ𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒴𝑜𝓊𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉

BUY SHAUNA'S FIRST BOOK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX4HVVLS

https://www.instagram.com/shaunadittl/

We spent three weeks traveling through four European countries with our seven-month-old, and this episode is an honest reflection of what that really looked like, far beyond the highlight reels.

We share the unexpected beauty of traveling with a baby: kind strangers who stepped in without being asked, people speaking to our daughter in languages she’s never heard before, and watching her light up as she absorbed new sounds, faces, and rhythms of life. We talk about wandering through centuries-old streets, standing in places layered with history, savoring unforgettable cuisine, and enjoying truly stellar wine that somehow tastes even better when life slows down.

We also get very real about the logistics. Pushing a stroller over uneven cobblestones day after day. Timing everything around naps and how flexible (or not) Airbnb check-in times can make or break a day with a baby. Why renting a car in Italy completely changed our experience and allowed us to see places no train could ever take us. And yes, the inhalation of constant cigarette smoke in Rome, something we weren’t prepared for and had to mentally and physically navigate with an infant.

This trip wasn’t effortless. Ten days of the flu in 18-degree weather with a sick baby. No food delivery or takeout when you’re too exhausted to leave the apartment. Navigating a hospital through a language barrier when your child is unwell. Changing flights because we were simply too sick to travel. Learning that Europe takes holidays very seriously, meaning closures, limited hours, and quieter cities that require flexibility. And realizing that overbooking ourselves with too many countries cost us precious time, as each flight took away nearly an entire day of presence and rest.

We also share the unsung heroes of this trip: the countless farmacias that truly saved us, offering support, medications, and reassurance when we needed it most.

This episode is about presence over perfection. About choosing memories even when things are hard. About what traveling with a baby teaches you about slowing down, surrendering control, and meeting life exactly as it is. If you’ve ever wondered whether international travel with an infant is possible, or if you’re craving a more honest conversation about family travel, this one is for you.

𝓍𝓍𝒮𝒽𝒶𝓊𝓃𝒶
𝒯𝒶𝓀𝑒𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒴𝑜𝓊𝒩𝑒𝑒𝒹 & ℒ𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒴𝑜𝓊𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉

BUY SHAUNA'S FIRST BOOK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX4HVVLS

https://www.instagram.com/shaunadittl/

This year we are choosing presence over presents. We’re off Europe for the holidays—with a baby—and no, we’re not superhuman, rich, or reckless. We’re just choosing to live our life with our baby instead of waiting for some perfect future version of ourselves.

“If part of you is thinking, ‘I could never do that,’ I understand—there was a time I felt that way too.”

We’re about to leave for a three-week trip to Europe as a family, with a baby, no presents, and no rigid plan. And yes, it feels a little crazy.

But I keep reminding myself that the people around us—on the plane, in the airport, in passing—are just that: passing.

Our baby doesn’t need a perfect trip. She needs regulated parents, slow mornings, and the feeling of being carried safely through the world.

This episode is an honest look at what traveling with a baby really looks like—and why we’re choosing presence over presents this holiday season.

𝓍𝓍𝒮𝒽𝒶𝓊𝓃𝒶
𝒯𝒶𝓀𝑒𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒴𝑜𝓊𝒩𝑒𝑒𝒹 & ℒ𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒴𝑜𝓊𝒟𝑜𝓃'𝓉

BUY SHAUNA'S FIRST BOOK
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX4HVVLS

Connect With Me: https://shaunadittl.com/

https://www.instagram.com/shaunadittl/