u/v_bird_v

https://preview.redd.it/lu1gydii9kkh1.png?width=864&format=png&auto=webp&s=02ea64f5b1b3c6dc29827cc9634339be6b915359

This is a tapestry that one of my best friends spent months knitting for me before she graduated and had to move to another state. The owl and the fox are symbols of us. It is the kindest, most generous thing anyone has ever done for me. When I moved back from college at the beginning of the summer, my dad was in charge of the tapestry, it was rolled up and sticking out of his briefcase on the plane. He really thought he got it home, but no one has been able to find it in the house. We have traced the airplane and called and visited the airports it went to that day and it seems like it really wasn't left on the plane or in any of the airports. We also confirmed that it wasn't left in the rental car. The only other thing we can think of having happened to it was that someone found it and decided to keep it.

The flight was on May 14th, 2026, and went to Punta Gorda FL, Harrisburg PA, and Portsmouth NH. It was an Allegiant Airlines flight, if that matters.

If you know anyone who traveled around this time/near these locations, please, PLEASE just take a quick moment to ask them if there's any chance they saw or picked it up and tell them about the reward. Otherwise, I'm begging just please spread the word if you live within a few hours of any of these places-- post on your neighborhood Facebook page or something-- anything that reaches people that may not be on reddit.

I am a student (not employed) and can't afford to offer a higher reward, but I am an artist and am happy to make something for anyone who can return this to me if they want. I won't be angry if you took it, I promise, I understand. But it's so important to me and I just want it back. I know this post is a long shot but it's the only thing left I can think to do.

Thank you for reading.

https://preview.redd.it/2yses63m77kh1.png?width=1000&format=png&auto=webp&s=f9d41da6174944f4997736795dac25d97c27dde1

I'm SURE a similar pattern exists somewhere but I can't find one. Any help appreciated greatly!

https://preview.redd.it/2fnh7cjhx0jh1.jpg?width=736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=826a3c8e02608ce0544bfe1fc0048e18689b8d6a

https://preview.redd.it/aa7nb4esl7gh1.png?width=564&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d8b5ae531dd0ad8012595498689569c328aba70

https://preview.redd.it/7xffxcotl7gh1.png?width=1128&format=png&auto=webp&s=bfafb82b1a243304b8a3d679e618bb25ab3d571e

https://preview.redd.it/1stuwl8vl7gh1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=a9711cd054cfe392b7524c6026d5da85f34cabf5

This decoration choice has become so characteristic of my generation and yall, I have to be honest, I think it's gonna be one of those things we look back on and cringe at. For the record, I liked this when I was a bit younger and I maintain that everyone should do whatever pleases them for decorations (and thinking something will be cringe in the future is not a good reason to get rid of it if you genuinely like it), but this is just my take.

The main thing I dislike is the fake ivy. It always looks so sparse and scraggly and limp and it's just like... hey, it looks like you dangled a bunch of scraggly green plastic on your wall, cause that's what you did. It's not just like a pot of fake flowers or something like that which can look convincing-- the fake ivy never looks anything like actual ivy because that is simply not at all how ivy grows (especially because most people have them dangling up high were it doesn't even look like they could be rooted anywhere). It's IMMEDIATELY clockable as cheap plastic leaves. (If you ever see genuine climbing ivy, it's usually these big, lush, branching sections that cling to the wall. Thicker toward the center and thinning out toward the edges.)

As for the string lights: they often get paired with the ivy which is why I'm putting them together. But either paired or independent, they just look cheap and juvenile to me. It gives the vibe that you can't/won't just buy a lamp or two for ambient light, and they just look like wiry plastic clutter when they're off or when the room is lit. Again, just a sparse, scraggly, cheap vibe.

These kinds of things are very college-dorm. If you have an apartment/house or aren't a kid/teenager (and/or don't want to decorate like one), I just can't help but feel that quality fake plants or real plants, some real lamps (or lighting fixtures, or even lanterns), and also actual, framed wall decor would be so much more appropriate maturity-wise and a lot classier and prettier.

Hello, my family has an older cat that has always been very skittish and anxious. She usually runs away from people, but she used to sleep on my bed before I went to college. My family has a big house-- it's my parents and our dog (which she doesn't like) and occasional guests. My parents sometimes travel and leave her with sitters for extended periods. This has been her life for her 9 years since being rescued as a kitten. I've been considering maybe moving her in with me when I go to grad school in a couple years because she might like a small, quiet environment with no dog where she may feel more secure (though I don't think she'd like new human roomates, so it depends on that situation too). I think the travel and move would be very stressful for her and I worry about that, but I'm willing to consider it if it would make her life better.

However, I'd really like to adopt a more friendly cat if I could. I wonder if maybe my Kitty might actually benefit from a cat friend in the new place or if her personality means she's just independent by nature and I should accept that and let her be alone with me given that I choose to take her.

So my questions are:

1. Does moving her in with me for grad sound like a good idea for her?
2. In the above case, does getting a second friendly cat sound like a good idea for her?

Thank you so much anyone who gives advice.

When my twin and I were around 10 years old, my mom decided we should get a cat as a "friend for our dog," and, presumably thinking my dad would be resistant but quickly warm up to a new pet anyway, took us to adopt one without his permission while he was on a business trip. Of course, my twin and I as kids were on board with getting a cat because we were children and we love pets. So, we went with mom and got one.

Kitty was a gentle kitten at the shelter but became terrified once adopted, likely due to being abandoned as a baby. Her trauma made her skittish, prone to hiding, and uncomfortable with affection or the family dog. Over the years she grew somewhat calmer but remained shy/skittish. All she'd really do is sleep with me at night by high school because she likes my bed. Because of this, I'm sort of the only one who's had much active affection for her.

While both my parents treat kitty nicely, my dad has resented her from the start because she was adopted without his permission, and he still feels burdened by caring for the cat he never wanted. My mom doesn’t like Kitty either since she's messy and unaffectionate and just not the cat she wanted. Both parents treat Kitty as my cat because my dad in particular blames me and my twin for adopting her, and they see that she likes me best. I'm in college now and they insist I take her when I get my first apartment. They view the cost and responsibility of keeping her as unfair to them because, again, she's "my" cat.

Someday, I would like to have an emotional support cat, possibly in grad school (I have an anxiety disorder and the isolation of grad school can be rough). I can already imagine the shit I'm going to get from my parents for adopting a new, friendly cat while leaving them to take care of Kitty.

But I don't want Kitty to come live with me-- mostly because I live multiple states away from home and I don't think it's remotely fair to her to rip her from the environment she's finally acclimatized to after all these years, going from a huge house to a little apartment, and then make her move somewhere new whenever I graduate. She can't travel-- the poor thing will do anything to avoid a carrying crate/bag and will spend every moment in it crying and exhausting herself trying to escape. I even wonder if she might have a heart attack or something on an airplane. She's terrified of new places and people, and she needs to live somewhere with lots of familiar hiding spots in order to feel safe. So, I can't take her in good conscience as a grad student. And in any case, she wouldn't exactly work as an emotional support cat (no offense, Kitty).

I don't know guys. It sucks. I don't think taking her is the right thing to do for her but maybe I'm just rationalizing and she'd be better off with me, meaning I should be responsible and just take her? At least then she'd be with someone who doesn't dislike her and maybe she'd like the small space. What do you think?

EDIT: My parents treat her well and take good care of her, and she's comfortable in her home. They show her affection when they can but she usually avoids everyone, so they overall regret having her even if they're not hateful towards her. They say they don't blame the cat and want her to have a good life, but they'd still rather me take her. Also, about her sleeping in my bed: She doesn't usually sleep with me anymore when I'm home from college because I'm away for so long. But she's always liked my trundle bed as a hiding spot because it's very secure. She likes squishing into small, dark spaces like that. She's not abused or anything-- everyone in the family is kind to her; but she's a very anxious cat.

When my twin and I were around 10 years old, my mom decided we should get a cat as a "friend for our dog," and, presumably thinking my dad would be resistant but quickly warm up to a new pet anyway, took us to adopt one without his permission while he was on a business trip. [this is not a post about my parents' relationship; they have a pretty model marriage overall and love each other very much. Yes, this was a disrespectful, irresponsible, and inconsiderate thing for my mom to do, but she feels awful for it and it doesn't reflect a pattern in their dynamic. She was just impulsive.] anyway, of course my twin and I as kids were on board with getting a cat because we were children and we love pets. So, we went with mom and got one.

Kitty was a sweet and calm kitten when we met her at the shelter, but as soon as we brought her home, the poor thing was terrified. She was previously abandoned as a baby, and it seems her trauma made her very skittish around new people and environments. She always hid where no one could find her and often scratched those who got too close. She almost never hung around to cuddle with anyone or let anyone pet her when she was little. And she's never liked the dog. She got a bit more comfortable with age, though still characteristically independent, shy, and skittish. When I was in highschool, she'd cuddle with me at night because she felt safe in my bed, but that was kind of it.

My dad says he hates Kitty. He's nice to her, but he never wanted her. She represents kind of a betrayal to him, I think. Since we adopted her without his permission. He still holds that grudge 10 years later (not unjustifiably) as he still has to care for her in his house. My mom doesn't like her either because she's not affectionate to the family or the dog and can be pretty messy. She's not the cat my mom wanted.

I am in college now. And my dad still blames me (and my twin) for the cat, because he doesn't want to conceive of his wife bearing all the accountability so as not to feel as angry with her. Both parents have apparently come to see Kitty as my cat, since she seems to prefer me as she sleeps on my bed at night at home, and I'm actually affectionate towards her. When it comes up, my dad directs his scorn about Kitty's adoption mostly at me because of this, and both him and my mom say that I should take "my" cat whenever I have my first apartment and complain that they have to sink all this money and care into her like it isn't fair to them.

Someday, I would like to have an emotional support cat, possibly in grad school (I have an anxiety disorder and the isolation of grad school can be rough). I can already imagine the shit I'm going to get from my parents for adopting a new, friendly cat while leaving them to take care of "my" cat.

But I don't want Kitty to come live with me-- mostly because I live multiple states away from home and I don't think it's remotely fair to her to rip her from the environment she's finally acclimatized to after all these years, going from a huge house to a little apartment, and then make her move somewhere new whenever I graduate. She can't travel-- the poor thing will do anything to avoid a carrying crate/bag and will spend every moment in it crying and exhausting herself trying to escape. I even wonder if she might have a heart attack or something on an airplane. She's terrified of new places and people, and she needs to live somewhere with lots of familiar hiding spots in order to feel safe. So, I can't take her in good conscience as a grad student. And in any case, she wouldn't exactly work as an emotional support cat (no offense, Kitty).

I don't know guys. It sucks. Thanks for reading all this shit. If you have any advice or opinions, please share. I love my parents and they're genuinely great overall but this is a point of contention.

Hello,

I think I want to enter a graduate program in philosophy (please see bottom note before you comment judgements on this 🥲) I have a few certain insecurities about becoming an academic. I sorta think I'd love it, but in some ways I feel like I'm not the "kind" of person to excel in academia although I'm a very good student. Could you all let me know if you relate to this or if you think I'm a lost cause here?

There is a sense in which I enjoy reading, writing, and research. I'm currently doing a research project that I proposed with my professor and I'm enjoying it. However the physical task of sitting still and reading words on a page for a long time without getting distracted is sort of hard/understimulating for me. But once I've done the work (or made progress), I feel great. It's sort of like exercise. Not inherently fun while you're doing it but ultimately fulfilling and gratifying. I read because the ideas that come off the page are worth it even though it can feel like a chore momentarily.

But I guess the kind of people who do grad school in say, philosophy, are the kind of people who like to spend their free time reading philosophy for fun or leisure? I've been told that if I don't like reading in and of itself, I definitely shouldn't go.

But like most people in my generation, reading academic literature does not give me a dopamine hit. Not when i'm depressed, anxious, and have grown up with my phone and fried my brain. But I don't want to give up on academia just because It doesn't agree with my base, hedonistic desires to be entertained by flashing lights and colors. I feel fulfilled by advancing in philosophy-- it makes me feel more like myself. And love talking to philosophers; I've never encountered a genre of people that I've harmonized with in the way I have with them.

Here's that optional bottom note: I just ask that you please be kind with me here. I am a Junior and have been thinking about this for years. I know about "the job market," I know that 40%-60% of graduates in only top five programs in my field secure tenure-track positions. But I love philosophy, I love higher education, and according to my prof/academic advisor and career advisor, I'm on track to get into a good program. So this is a sincere consideration for me.

Hello,

I think I want to enter a graduate program in philosophy (please see bottom note before you comment judgements on this 🥲) I have a few certain insecurities about becoming an academic. I sorta think I'd love it, but in some ways I feel like I'm not the "kind" of person to excel in academia although I'm a good student. Could you all let me know if you relate to these things or if you think they're genuine inhibitors?

1. I don't really enjoy the tasks of reading/writing/research themselves. I do them because I love what comes out of them (ie learning, perspective, connection, etc). I don't do them for leisure.
2. Though my reading comprehension is very good, I am a very slow reader, and often feel under-stimulated by reading (especially academic literature) for stretches of time. I accomplish readings by organizing them into small parts with breaks in between. I annotate as I go.

EDIT: I want to clarify that there is a real sense in which I enjoy reading, writing, and research. I'm currently doing a research project that I proposed with my professor and I'm enjoying it. It's just that the physical task of sitting still and reading words on a page for a long time without getting distracted is sort of hard for me. But once I've done the work (or made progress), I feel great. It's sort of like exercise. Not inherently fun while you're doing it but ultimately fulfilling and gratifying.

Here's that optional bottom note: I just ask that you please be kind with me here. I am a Junior and have been thinking about this for years. I know about "the job market," I know that 40%-60% of graduates in only top five programs in my field secure tenure-track positions. But I love philosophy, I love higher education, and according to my prof/academic advisor and career advisor, I'm on track to get into a good program. So this is a sincere consideration for me.