AAO takes place in Chicago biennially and this year, I was able to squeeze all my commitments into a short, two-night stay. Having filled on a breakfast burrito before my 7am flight, I avoided hangriness over catching an Uber to the wrong Hyatt before settling into my actual hotel. For dinner, I left early from an investigator meeting to join Zeiss management at two-Michelin-starred Smyth, where the unique tasting menu was superior to the dinner conversation. I made my way to the Cornea Society party afterwards, but again felt myself aging out of the event. On Saturday, I met with industry colleagues for research updates, then lunched with past UCD fellows at Burger Bar. I returned in time to give a booth talk and laser course before wrapping the evening at the Harvard reunion and an Allergan dinner. On Sunday, I trudged through rain at 6am for an early ad board, then returned to the conference center for my OCT course and poster presentation. I took advantage of happy hour pricing for ramen before joining my co-residents at my friend’s apartment for a baby gathering. I picked up a yogurt parfait for healthier sustenance for the return flight Sunday night. Despite keeping the trip short, I returned to work feeling exhausted, having gone for 3 weeks without a day off. Fortunately, I was able to hang onto Premier status with an Economy Plus upgrade, so I’ll at least be done with air travel for the remainder of the year.