Full Circle Moment
I reconnect with my high school counselor.
— 3 min read
Table of Contents
Speaking With My High School Counselor
Today, I got to speak with my high school counselor over the phone. It was an absolutely crazy full circle moment because it's been almost 3 or 4 years since I graduated from high school. She was the one that introduced me to one of my long time friends. It was this friend that had a big influence in my professional career.
This is all it is about: appreciating the people that have, in some way or another, significantly or trivially, impacted my life. Because when I look at the success of a person, I see a community of mostly disconnected individuals who have contributed something for that person to be where they're at today.
I remember as a high school graduate, taking a gap year because I had difficulties transitioning to college, speaking to this friend of mine, with literally no experience under my belt. And then, just a week ago, I'm in Africa doing crazy work, leading initiatives, impacting people in a way that is visible to me. This gives me meaning in life—to be a part of something much bigger than myself.
This was the one thing that I have told countless times to people who have opened doors for me to step through: to be a part of something bigger than myself. It seems to be a pattern that I'm seeing that when I express drive to an individual who checks all the boxes, somewhere in the ether, the threads of fate align and historical milestones are made in my life.
I've gotten very far and I'm so proud of myself for all these accomplishments despite, what I feel like, having the odds stacked against me.
Learning Mandarin
I started learning Mandarin today. It was difficult. Hopefully, I can get build some momentum because it's kind of hard starting. I've never really done something like this before when it came to language learning. I'm not sure if I'm even doing it correctly. But, after watching and reading some material, and trying to put trust in my processes, schedule, and resources, I'll keep moving forward. Using Anki, the HSK books, the accompanying audio, all the Chinese cultural media available on the internet, and my schedule which I've structured in a way that by the time I complete, I should, I think hopefully, be at CEFR B2.