I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason.
Leaving Kahani a few years ago was a very tough time for me. I felt my life was incredibly unpredictable and that everything was out of my control. I felt incredibly lost. Of course I wallowed for a bit, it’s so easy to feel sorry for yourself when you believe the world is against you, but was it?
After my wallowing, I found myself really enjoying my time just …. existing. I had never had time like this before, I was always in school and when I was done with school I was immediately working. I never got a chance to take a step back, relax, smell the flowers. It was always go go go.
So it was definitely a blessing in disguise.
Where I felt I was losing important relationships, the ones truly most important to me revealed themselves at an exponential rate. I traveled a lot with my little sister and we grew a lot closer, closer than we already were. And when we weren’t traveling we were always hanging out, watching movies or grabbing coffees, or playing video games. I also traveled a lot with my family, something I haven’t done since forever. It was so nice to be able to spend time with them not worrying about the next thing.
And I got to be a present person for myself. I enjoyed my own company so much, I preferred it to being around others. I analyzed what relationships I previously had that were actually doing my heart good, and many, were absolutely not. I read so much, watched movies and listened to music, connecting so deeply with these different art forms that I’ve always previously loved. I started understanding why I was who I was, why I choose the hobbies that I do. And trust me, there were a LOT. I would read, journal, figure skate, do tons of puzzles. I learned to be grateful and as corny as it sounds, to live in the moment. I was also able to really hone in on what I wanted out of my career.
Several months later, I landed a role at a digital marketing agency where we helped local food and farm businesses with their marketing strategies. I learned a ton from this role, and really got to understand that having marketing for your business is a true privilege that not everybody has. This is where I learned that I wanted to use my career to connect with the community and make a difference. I got laid off from that job but then landed a role at a university managing their main social page and working with the student team. I learned two things very quickly from this role: It was not for me. I loved working with students.
So here I am, back at Kahani, from Graphic Designer to Account Manager. I love this team and have always felt comfortable and trusted at Kahani. The journey back here taught me SO much about myself that I would have never learned had I not had to leave in the first place. I’m in such a better place than when I first started, and I’m so happy that my journey was what it was.
I have never been so truly at peace, so happy to do what I do, and so happy to know the people I know. Of course my life isn’t perfect, but it sure as hell feels like it is. When I look back, it’s insane to compare the years that have gone by. Such stark differences between the phases in my life that I’ve gone through every year. The things I thought were the worst things to happen to me, were the best. They all led me to where I am and they were necessary for all the blessings that I have now.
My biggest lesson learned: when one door closes, another one ALWAYS opens.