hi hello hey… we’re not ready to be back

Physically, we’re home, but mentally, we’re still at the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Conference.

This year was extra special because we secured a Grant—Newkirk, that is. Case’s fiancé, Grant, joined the conference chaos for the first (and certainly not the last) time, and it made everything even more fun. We get into the excitement (and vulnerability) of bringing someone new into a space that feels so unique to our community—and spoiler alert: Grant was welcomed with open arms.

This year’s conference was on the smaller side, but still just as meaningful. We’re recapping it all—from our many involvements to our favorite moments. To everyone we saw—old friends and new—it’s always such a joy to connect with this community.

HPS is just the first of three conferences we’ll be at this year, so stay tuned for more recaps in the coming months… some of which may turn into chaotic live episodes.

Check out past HPS conference eps to relive the magic

• 16. a family reunion with blood draws: the hps conference (2021): a primer on all things conference
• 66. hps conference: reuniting our community after four years (2023)
• 91. doctors at a bar, cute lab mice, & dancing dinosaurs: hps conference recap (2024)
• 117. few but many: hps conference 2025

Still on a conference kick? Enjoy other episodes where we recap conferences:

• 50. squinting in orlando: albinism conference recap NOAH 2022
• 98. rolling out the red carpet for the albinism conference NOAH 2024
• 120. still alive but barely breathing lmao: ats recap our time at the American Thoracic Society in 2025

hi hello hey, guess who has the best job?? us, because we don’t have to drive!

We’re all well aware of the perks of driving—the privacy of your own car, the freedom to go anywhere at any time—but what about the perks of being a passenger princess (or prince)? Driving takes visual, mental, and physical energy that we simply don’t have to spend, which means more room to save money, relax, and stay relatively safe.

We also talk about the importance of finding ways to navigate semi-independently and encourage y’all to lean into it when possible—whether that’s public transportation, rideshares, or tapping into your broader community instead of relying on the same person every time. However you do it, we hope you flex those mental muscles and get creative if you’re feeling stuck.

We had so much fun recording this episode—something about it felt like classic Rare with Flair. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back to our usual shenanigans next episode as we recap the 2026 Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome conference!

For more episodes where we talk about driving (or not driving), check these out:

• 23. two blind girls take a driving test: why we choose not to bioptic drive (+ a quiz that proves how little we know about driving)
• 65. feeling like a burden: a vulnerable discussion on how not driving makes us feel
• 111. lifting the burden: how we pay it forward: how we give back to those who help us out

hi hello hey, you hungry? well… you’re about to be!

Before we get into this week’s ep, thank you for your patience while we took a little break. Between travel and being sick, we wanted to wait until we had the time and energy to bring you a quality episode—and now we’re back and, frankly, starving. Want some snacks??

It’s been a minute since we did a “flair” ep, and this one was actually a brilliant idea from our girl ChatGPT (hate if you will, but she’s helpful!). You loved when we ranked assistive technology, so we’re back with another tier list—this time featuring (mostly) salty snacks. Expect some agreements, some disagreements, and some seriously salty takes.

Have another tier list topic you want us to debate, or a favorite snack we missed? Email us at hello@rarewithflair.com!