New Decade, New Challenges and New Horizons

Ah yes, here I am again everyone. After a bit of a personal writing hiatus thanks to personal stuff, thesis writing challenges, and navigating relationships, I'm back. And this time, I mean it. Seven years ago, I made the ambitious switch just months before I began my undergraduate years at Mizzou from pursuing a Health science degree to a journalism degree. Why did I do it? I did it for love, hate and self-fulfillment reasons. I loved to write and tell stories, but I never saw it as a career opportunity. It wasn't until the idea of J-School, that I thought I could pursue these passions and make a decent living thanks to the reputation the Missouri School of Journalism gives all its survivors. Because my parents were both in the medical field for their careers, I assumed that's where I needed to go to succeed and I had to find an avenue that I liked. I think I still would've faired ok going through medical school or a STEM-related major, but I had such a fear of failure going through those courses then. With journalism school, there was still that major fear, but I knew my writing could only improve. I pursued this career in resentment of a relative who shall not be named as well. Looking back, it was less resent and more so the push I needed to grow up. I needed to pursue something I loved to do instead of what I was "supposed" to do.

This relative who said blatantly to his friends and my own mother, "If she thinks I'll be handing the business over to her just because she's pursuing X, then she's wrong." Pride is likely what fueled that comment. No communication or listening in order to actually learn what my dreams were and still are. Journalism school wasn't easy, nor were the other challenges that came with each passing here. But I'm still here, still thriving, and still continuing on this quest through my twenties. I'm still finishing my thesis from graduate school, and each day that I push to get through the coding or rewriting is tough. At the end of the day though, I'm doing it and that's all that matters to me. I'm looking for my next city and career step as well. Settling on a job in science communication or health communication would be ideal and wonderful for the career path I've built in the last seven years, but I know getting to that step takes time. I find joy and love in writing, editing and media planning around the St. Louis area, but I'm ready. For whatever and wherever the next step in my journey is, I am ready for it. To society and the rest of life, I say this:

Bring it on.