So as many of you know (assuming you have been reading my recent posts), I am moving back to Chicago, IL area. The move will allow me to be closer to family and be in the city the I love so much! Let me say, though, that living away from home has made me a much stronger as a person and professional. Moving away and being on my own (with my partner) was an eye opening experience in various ways.
1) It taught me to create and maintain relationships:
Me painting with my partner Kelly and 2 best friends Myriah (far left) and Nicole (far right)
Moving to a new location puts all of your relationships to the test. When you move, you cannot solely rely on your current friends. It is important to make new friends and connections in your new space. Over this past year, I have learned how to make connections with complete strangers, and I am looking forward to maintaining some of those connections when I move back to Chicago.
This past weekend, my partner helped set up a surprise visit with my two best friends (Myriah and Nicole) from graduate school; it was amazing! I took them on a tour of campus, we painted, and overall, we had a refreshing weekend. Visit like that make life much more positive and remind you how much of an impact you are on those around you. It also reminds you how much of an impact those around you are on you. This taught me it is important to stay in touch, and make time for those you love.
2) It taught me to take more calculated risks:
As my time started coming to an end in Florida, I had an epiphany: stop being scared of what would truly make you happy. When I first started my job in Florida, I was happy to have a job and a salary income. But as I went through the year, I realized that I settled for the position. I settled out of the fear that I would not find another job. The lesson here is to be more confident in myself and take more risks. I need to really go for what I want with my career.
I was inspired when I learned that a great long-time friend of mine is starting her own baking company. Be around people that support you and inspire you to remain confident. Hearing how passionate she was about baking reminded me how important it is to care about what you do. It reminded me not to settle for anything less. About 2 months ago, I decided that I am going to pursue becoming a police officer and make a difference on a bigger scale. Overall, my goal is to become a Police Chief on a college/university campus to educate people about what law enforcement entails.
This post is part of the Emerging SA Pro series following 4 awesome people: Aracelis, Emalie, Felicia, and Patrick, as they blog monthly about 1 year of their journey as either a new SA Pro or SA grad student. We are proud to help them share their stories as they break into our field.
