This year holds a significant marker from my transition 5 years ago. When I first started my journey in 2020, I had an awakening – I hated the field I was in, college was a pretty penny that allowed me to stretch out time and listlessness for just a while longer. So I went on a trip to Yosemite at perhaps the best time of the year and hiked half dome. The picture above shows my sister and I at Pinecrest Lake. After all these years, I still think of that memory because it was the first time I truly fell in love with my youth and with it also welled up other emotions – I hated the idea of going into medicine. In fact, I dreaded studying for another decade, spending late hours between classrooms and hospitals. So I decided to leave the only field I knew behind. I had no idea where I was going, but it felt like a new chapter. What I didn't realize was that it'd take me another 2.5 years before I was certain which career I wanted to pursue. Then, another 2 years before I would confidently establish myself. Five years, in the blink of an eye.
