perilous balance 2025-09-16T08:48:55Z

My knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel after two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Rain lashed against the windshield like tiny bullets, and the blaring horns from gridlocked cars felt like physical jabs to my temples. I needed an instant portal away from this urban hellscape. Fumbling for my phone with damp fingers, I tapped the familiar pink pastry icon – my lifeline to sanity. Instantly, the world transformed. The angry gray highway vanished, replaced by a whirlwind of spinn