How can you let go of something and really believe that "the best is yet to come?" Especially in or field!?

When I was on the last days of college, I remember being so nervous about my future career. As I mentioned earlier, I was on an overstay-visa, which didn't allow me to apply to any jobs, and I was too old to apply for DACA (look it up).

The last days of college were a rollercoaster. On one end I was happy that school was finally over, but on the other hand, I had NO IDEA what would be next. I was lucky enough to have worked with this guy in West LA who signed about 100 out of the 500 internship hours I needed to graduate.

I still needed more hours, so to be honest, I put really good effort in my studio classes to be noticed by the professors and critics who would come to our reviews. One day, I scored this meeting at a famous and well established firm in Downtown LA, thanks to one of my elective classes. I was very interested in becoming a medical planner, so even if I knew my chances of getting a paid job were zero, I took this meeting.

I met with two very nice people who helped me make my senior project better. I was doing a mental health facility, and they really liked my design. At the end of the meeting, the lady who I met gave me her business card and asked me if I was interested in a job after college. I just smiled and took the card, and I said I'd email her later.

I was 100% interested in the job. However, I knew my situation would not allow me. So what did I do? The next best thing: I emailed this lady and I told her I'd work for FREE!!! Given that I still needed 400 hours to get my diploma, I thought this big company would say ok. Actually, they did! Human Resources asked me for a school letter stating I needed the hours and they would consider a non-paid internship.

I was so happy for this. See, life is never about money. To me, at that point, was to be able to work somewhere and get experience and I did not care about not making a penny because I would get my college degree, which I had worked so hard for. 

Things got interesting when I went to the professor in charge of signing off the internship requirement at school. When I asked for the letter, and after hearing my legal thing story, he said: "Uhhh no, I am NOT giving you that kind of letter. Are you crazy, out of your mind??? why would you consider working for FREE? When these kind of companies have the resources to sponsor you???"

I don't know what kind of radar was installed around that time, but the West LA guy called the same day my professor said no to my requested letter, and the guy said: "Aren't you going to finish school soon? I was wondering if you'd like to work here?"

It wasn't a medical planning job, but it was a job! Now I was a regular graduate with plans after college, it was all worth it at that point. So worth it, I never questioned fair pay, fair hours, nothing. I was ready to just give it all. 

For the last five and a half years, I am sure I gave it my best to that first job, which has been tough to let go because of what it means to my story. But just the way I let go of the medical planning "goal", allowed for something else to fall into my lap and now I have skills and knowledge I could had never gotten otherwise. 

Now, I'm letting those five years go and start "fresh" again. This time, I had choices, and it feels amazing to be able to CHOOSE.