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Mood: reflective, grateful, slightly anxious, hopeful, and excited.

I keep thinking about my past and how I got to where I am now. I had multiple opportunities to pursue a career in the retail industry, but for some reason, other opportunities arose, and I pursued them instead. 

I had an opportunity to intern in the retail industry the summer before my senior year of college, but I miraculously, yes, miraculously got the most ideal, amazing, and best-fitting internship (for me). I was surrounded by some of the best bosses I’d ever had the privilege of working with and by corporate summer interns whom I’m still friends today. Did I mention that I got to spend my Toyota internship in Los Angeles and traveled to Baltimore, MD, Golden, CO, and New York, NY, for a Dew Tour event, Motocross event, and concert event for work? Badass.

Backtrack further, to when I applied to Business Honors at McCombs. What if I hadn’t gotten in? If I hadn’t gotten into the program, where would I be now? Who would I know? Who wouldn’t I know? I wouldn’t have a lot of the amazing friends I do now (Huy, Koby, Celeste, possibly Nami?). If I didn’t get into BHP, I wouldn’t have taken the same classes in the same order as stipulated by the honors program, which means I probably would’ve studied abroad sooner than Fall 2008, as a junior. Which means, I wouldn’t know any of my study abroad friends in Portugal, Norway, France, or Austria. Additionally, I would’ve probably recruited during the fall, which means I might’ve not pursued Teach For America and lived in Hawai’i for two years, touched many student lives, and met more awesome people including my good friends from Switzerland and Canada. Also, would I have gotten the job at Toyota without the BHP insignia?

Backtrack to even further than that, to entering high school. It just so happened that our volleyball coach in middle school, whom everyone loved, left the school when I was in 7th grade, so we got a replacement coach, whom everyone hated, when I was in 8th. I was pretty indifferent about her at first — she gradually grew on me — but she loved me and recognized my potential. So she put in a good word for me at Episcopal High School, where I got in on an athletic scholarship despite having no ties to the school and there being a waiting list. (I started middle back, btw, for those of you who view me as a big nerd, which I am, but hey, I got some other skills, too! lol) While at EHS, I had the opportunity to travel to China for spring break and Spain for a month in the summer where I lived with a host family. (It is there that I really gained the confidence to speak Spanish, as it improved significantly, and probably why I can still speak pretty well today.) And from EHS, I met three amazing, close girl friends, that I still keep in contact with today: Gabby, Alissa, and Amy. Another friend recently hired me as a tutor, so I have the ability to save some money to start my own business in the near(er) future.

Being a private school kid in a small environment 1st-8th grade and in a relatively small private high school molded me into who I am today: confident, hardworking, independent, and knowledgeable.

I feel like my life has been so perfectly orchestrated, even the many things that were out of my control somehow came into my life when I needed them. As I reflect back on my life — it’s something I do quite often — even at 24, err, 25 years of age, I can’t help but be so incredibly grateful, and honestly, in disbelief of the life I have led thus far.

I get scared, and sometimes I still do, as I ask myself, “What if I’ve already reached the pinnacle of my life? What if there’s nowhere else to go?? What if this is all there is for me???” Lately, however, I’ve been thinking pretty positively, about all the wonderful opportunities that could happen. I’m pretty hopeful about the future, and I really believe the best is yet to come.

Lew