The Start of a New Adventure

My life is about to change completely. Tomorrow will be the last day of my old life in my old job in my old industry, and I will begin a new life in a completely different direction. I hope you will join me on this journey of self-discovery, of finding my passions, and pursuing my dreams. And hopefully along the way you will be inspired to discover and pursue your dreams as well!

I am about to embark on a big move. It's the biggest move I've ever made. I've done a career change before. From 2002-2003 I made the switch from working as an IT consultant (a.k.a. back-end java developer) to becoming a designer by going back to school to pursue my graduate design degree and an MBA. That took 3 years. It was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Literally. Only to find myself back in the world of the web, but this time as a user experience designer.

What's a user experience designer, you ask? It's a profession that is known by several different titles. At some point I've been called a user experience consultant, information architect, interaction designer, or user researcher. We design websites so they are easier to use, more intuitive, and easier to navigate. We do this by conducting user research and usability tests to determine user needs and identify problems in the design. Essentially, the outcome of our design is a blueprint for a website, much like what an architect would create for a building. It's an interesting field and can be very rewarding, but it was just not my passion. I knew it. I knew it before I entered the field, but I just didn't know exactly what I wanted to do yet, so I did it knowing it would be temporary.

So, for the past 8 years I've been searching for what I REALLY wanted to do. Yes, 8 years! The answer to this question didn't come overnight. It took a lot of soul searching and learning a lot about myself to find out what really moved me, what really brought me joy. It is finally becoming clearer to me where I should be heading. And lucky for you, I am finally ready and willing to share this journey with you because I have met many people around me struggling with the same problem. They are in a job where they do not feel fulfilled. It pays the bills, and sometimes pays very well, but they've had a nagging feeling in the back of their mind and heart that says there's something else out there that will make them feel fulfilled...if only they knew what it was. And if only they could let go of the good pay they receive now to pursue it. It takes a leap of faith, it takes lots of passion, and it takes a good strong dose of perseverance to make it all work out.

Most of us have an idea of what we like and what we don't like, but to chose a specific career that is THE dream career is a challenge! We want to use all of our skills to do something that inspires us, where we feel we are adding value, and is something we truly enjoy. Of course there are lots of things we enjoy, but how can we make money doing it? And when we finally discover what we want, does it mean we have to start from the very bottom again? Yes, unfortunately, sometimes it does, but it's worth it if you're sure this is the direction you want to go. So let go of your ego and come join me. Living a happy life is much more fulfilling than trying to feed our ego. I've tried it, it burnt me out, and in the end I was not happy. This time I'm pursuing the things that bring me joy. I've realized that when I do things I love, the financial and immediate rewards may not be there to replace the security and comfort I had in the things that were more "practical", but I'm confident that there will be much bigger and better things in store for me if I keep at it. I'm taking that risk and I'm going for it. And this is the first time I am admitting it publicly. I have not even told my friends and family yet!

The big job for me during the past 8 years was to figure out what my dream career would be. What had the potential to keep me interested and passionate through the whole process? I have finally decided and I am about to embark on a new journey where I will start back at the bottom. Yes, the very, very bottom. But, I am okay with this. I've come to terms with letting go of my ego and just following my heart to do things I enjoy. And now I am willing to open up to share this journey with all of you, because I think it will help to see that others are going through the same thing.

This big move I am about to make is to New York. My husband is already there. He found his next dream job, which is taking us both to New York where my dream job lies as well. But for me to pursue my dream job, I have to go back to school. Yes, again! I know when I tell my friends and family that I'm doing another career change or that I'm going back to school, they are going to say... "Again?!" I've already tested this out with a co-worker, and that was precisely the response I got. Yes, again. And again. And again. If that's what it takes to find what I really want to do, then I will do it. I want to be happy. I am not going to settle because of money or other constraints I put around myself. I'm going to make it work whether the finances are immediately available or not because it is what I was meant to do.

Tomorrow is my last day as an interaction designer. And thus begins my journey and my big, big move to the Big Apple. It's a big, big move because we have so much stuff we are taking and trying to get rid of! We've built a comfortable life here in Chicago in a 3 bedroom duplex with lots of furniture, books, and other things. We're downsizing and trying to take only the things we love and will use as we embark on this new and exciting adventure in our new life in a new city!

Stay tuned!