When Between Roots and Wings issued this month’s blog prompt, I was at a loss…it is a photo prompt for “an accomplishment.”
I have an accomplishment I would like to share today, but unfortunately it has no photo to accompany it.
My entire life I’ve done mostly everything according to the book. I have positioned myself to have great opportunities and the best options available. And whatever situation I find myself in, I often do not “give up.” But I don’t keep at things because they are my heart’s desires. I keep at them because of two reasons:
- I have nothing better to do, so why not win at what I’m doing
- Society tells me I have chosen the “right” path
Over the years, I have learned how to locate the key contact in whatever situation I find myself and talk them into giving me what I want. This is not a characteristic of which I am particularly proud. The equality warrior in me says this is cheating… For instance, when I applied to my first choice college and interviewed, my interviewer turned out to be a friend who had graduated from my high school three years before me. By the way, this was a highly rated school…so…”right path.” (and I ended up attending)
When I landed my first internship (in Congress = right path), it was because I accompanied a friend to his interview and was offered an internship in the same Congressional office. When I landed my first job (working for a Congresswoman), it was through connections from my internship. Every sport I’ve played is because my father signed me up (when I was 5 years old) and wouldn’t let me quit (in hindsight I’m quite glad but still, not really my decision) and my teammates were involved in clubs, committees, etc. and were easily able to help me get involved and excel.
The first thing I’ve done completely on my own without using connections or charm or because I was forced to be there…and also without thought to what might be the “right” thing to do…is walk away from my job in the U.S. It is the first time I’ve looked at a decision and instead of letting the status quo tell me what I should do, I let my heart. I was working for a highly respected political news organisation. Sure, I wasn’t making a lot of money, but I got to be in the thick of things! My job wasn’t particularly exciting, but every once in awhile I was allowed to cover Congressional Hearings and Markups and interview Members of Congress and pitch story ideas to some of Washington’s most decorated editors…but I really disliked my job, and I also decided that I wanted to experience more before I died. When Josh heard of an opening in Sydney for his company, I cheered him on full stop. I was ready to go. What I hadn’t told him, is that even if he was not offered the job, I was still going to quit my job, haha. But he did. I walked away from prestige and security, because the prestige wasn’t buying me happiness, compliments weren’t making my job worth the unhappiness I spent there. I walked away from the “wow, good for your daughter” job my parents could brag about, and I moved with my boyfriend (not even fiance!) to a foreign country with no job set up for when I arrived. Crazy.
Walking away from my job, despite the prestige, despite its reputation…felt damn good. A lot of people would call me crazy, but I have not regretted my decision for a single second. It is an accomplishment of which I am quite proud.
Granite House on the Hill 