30 Things I've Learned: #25

-Know where you want to go but not how you're going to get there.

Around 13 I realized I had a love for fashion and ultimately wanted a career in this field. I tirelessly researched schools and programs before settling on one of the top merchandising programs in the country at FIT in New York. I was clear about my major and the school. It would be the last time I set a goal, knew my path, and followed it precisely.  

I thought I would graduate in 4 years and work in New York City. I graduated a semester early and moved to Dallas. I thought I'd take a higher paying job with JC Penney's, last minute I chose Neiman Marcus instead.  I thought I'd work there for 2 years and then take a store job in California. I worked there for 7 years and never in a store.  I had no desire for a long term boyfriend, I got one at 22 and lasted 5 years.  The rest of my story is completely unpredictable.  I never thought about quitting Neiman's and if I had it certainly would not have been to move to Ohio.  I never thought I'd become a yoga teacher or move to San Francisco.

The goals were always there, just not the path.  At 24 I thought I'd work in a store and move to Los Angeles.  At 29 I work in a store - albeit a different company, and in San Francisco, California. I had glimpses of what I wanted, where I wanted to end up, but no idea how I'd get there. I've been surprising myself all along the way. 

The journey has proved ever more rewarding than the destination.  I would have missed so much if I'd had it all mapped out. I would have skipped over so many amazing people and opportunities. Each piece of my puzzle has been necessary, even if it wasn't always enjoyable.  I have detoured and hit pause numerous times, but I still got here. Even though for so much of the time I wasn't even sure what that meant. 

The fun of my life has been all of the unexpected moments.  

I know the beginning.

And it turns out, maybe even the end.  But never the middle.