So Who Am I Really?

Part of My Story

I am a 20-something Millennial raised in a small town in Central WA. The town is very agricultural, and I spent most of my childhood riding my bike throughout the apple orchards. I loved the outdoors! (And still do!) Especially in the late spring and summer when all the insects and the wildlife appeared.

I mostly remember the windy summers and looking forward to birds’ nests falling from trees. I picked up every nest I could and tried to raise the bald hatchlings or bring the little eggs to life. Ha! That still makes me smile : ) I spent those summers climbing the tallest branches of our trees and can still hear my dad yelling at me to get down. I loved catching tadpoles and chasing insects and was always awed by bumble bees and hummingbirds. I still believe they are fairies from a parallel universe and that I am a unicorn ; )

High school is a blur! In a nutshell, HS made me realize what a great artist I was (yes, I draw/paint, and I’m pretty darn good at it! WoooHooo!), I held several office positions throughout the years, was prom queen, graduated at the top of my class, and was co-valedictorian. Not too shabby, ey? Well, let me remind you that we were a tiny town and therefore a tiny school. No big deal. Forget the stereotypical popularity crap you see in movies — none of that. My mission was to get out of that small town, and college was my passport.

College life was a whole other story! I am a PROUD University of Washington alumna. GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!! My story would not be complete if I did not mention that I am also a proud Gates Millennium Scholar, Costco Diversity Scholar, and GenOM alumna: These guys made my college career possible, and I am EXTREMELY grateful for what they do for students of diverse backgrounds.

I stayed in school an extra year, dreading that the economy had just crashed and knowing that finding a job would come with difficulty. After graduating UW, I stuck around beautiful Seattle to launch my career. It was not easy, to say the least. But I never doubted that I could find a good job. I had no room for doubts! I wanted to stay in Seattle and so I needed a job.

Unlike many recent graduates, I couldn’t afford to be picky. With lots of patience and a not-very-short road, I am where I am today. And it is great! And it will be great! And it will be better! Because there is always room for a better YOU – in or outside a career – that is why I am ever-evolving : )

My Journey

About a year ago, I began a journey of appreciating the NOW…the PRESENT. I had spent the past couple of years so focused on building my career (STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM NOW WE HERE!!! Haha!) and finally achieved a place where I could live comfortably. So I found myself asking WHAT NOW?

Did I want to dive into grad school? Why was I not traveling the world like I had hoped? Why was I not creating art like I had enjoyed in HS? Should I get married and have kids now? I guess I finally realized that I had become all too wrapped up in the corporate life and in society’s perception of what a millennial should be doing. And that is not what I wanted.

So I began accomplishing many FIRSTS and going out of my comfort zone to do things I never imagined doing. Don’t worry – I did not become reckless! I have begun to appreciate TODAY a lot more than I did yesterday. I am living NOW without giving too much thought about TOMORROW. Why? Because we will never get today back. Ever.

And I will NOT die thinking about my past while planning for tomorrow without noticing my present.

I am here today, and part of my NOW is this blog. I love writing more than I enjoy speaking. Haha! It’s true! And this blog is part of my expression. And I hope that in the process it will also inspire me to continuously appreciate my present.

This is my journey.