Vent: The push for all-digital plans on my current site is causing more problems than it solves.

Three years ago on a hospital job in Phoenix, we had full-size paper sets and iPads for the digital versions. Last month, the GC on my new apartment project said we're going '100% digital, no paper allowed'. Now, last week, I watched a concrete crew waste 45 minutes because their tablet died and they couldn't pull up the detail for a slab edge. Sometimes you just need a marked-up sheet you can hold. Has anyone else had to fight for a hybrid approach on their sites?

I just hit 100 hours of listening to flat earth debates

I used to think it was all nonsense, but hearing the same three points about perspective and horizon lines over and over actually made me check the math. I spent a weekend with a laser level and a long stretch of road. What's the most common 'proof' you've seen that actually holds up to a simple test?

A client in Boise told me to stop asking 'does that make sense?' after every point.

We were going over a website redesign in her office, and she just paused me and said 'You're the expert, stop checking if you're allowed to be one.' It hit me that my constant need for approval was making me seem unsure. How do you guys project confidence when you're explaining something technical?

My friend in Lisbon called my 'budget' trip a 'hostel hostage situation'

I used to book the cheapest hostel bed I could find, even if it was an hour outside the city center to save $10 a night. She pointed out that I was wasting so much time and money on transport that it wasn't actually saving me anything. Now I always check the location on a map first and factor in transit costs. Has anyone else had a cheap choice that actually ended up costing more?

Rant: I was at a big networking event in Austin and everyone kept saying you need a personal brand. I think that's bad advice for most people.