Renewal

When considering a job offer, one of my cousins gave me some much needed job advice, and life insight. Since I first received the offer, I began to wish I could just talk to my future self and hear how I would reflect on my decision 5-10 years down the line, and hear whether or not this is the right job to take. 

I wanted to know:

Would I regret taking it? 

Not taking it? 

Should I wait for something else? 

Is this the right type of job to pursue? 

Is this the right location? 

She didn't give me the answers, or force-feed them down my throat, but merely told me how she would feel if she had this opportunity, and how she would feel if she did, or did not, take the job. 

Us having similar majors, I told her the two career paths I was thinking about taking, and she gave me her wisdom about which ones are more or less accessible. She let me know the reality of each, and didn't sugar coat either one. 

I wish I could describe her words and wisdom succinctly, and remember how she phrased each sentence so eloquently, but there is one thing in particular that I remember her saying: the importance of having a place of renewal. 

Going to Bologna, and being so lucky to have a campus/city/location like Berkeley has shown me how important space and place is in terms of self-restoration and creation. It wasn't until recently that I made the clear connection that making the effort to be in beautiful, calming, and special places, allows you to continue getting through all of the rough patches -- a place of renewal.  

She asked me to think of what my place of renewal was, and see how that aligned with where I saw myself in the next 5 years. I then realized, I have many places of renewal. And that this particular offer -- a year long job amid the redwoods -- would be a beautiful place of renewal for the short term and long term.

So, here's to having a job -- ALMOST -- right out of college, and exploring one of my places of renewal.