It's wild how much easier it is to spot the red flags now, but damn, I used to think that constant low-level anxiety was just... normal for every job. I remember thinking, "This is just what being an adult is." The physical tension, the racing thoughts at 3am... I wish I'd known it wasn't a universal experience, just a toxic workplace seeping into my bones. Now I know what calm feels like, and I guard it fiercely. That landed differently than I expected. Still processing.