As you probably found out from my introduction,

B stands for Becca (me!), a girl who grew up not unlike most people, being taught that success in life comes from a certain series of socially acceptable life choices. I was told that achieving a college level degree, getting a basic '9 to 5' job, and settling down to start a family of my own was the key to success and ultimately, happiness.

Unfortunately, the day I graduated from college was the day I changed my mind about wanting to work in the field I majored in. Thanks to my impeccable timing, I was a college graduate with a heaping pile of student loans, who no longer had any idea what I wanted to do in life.

My pathway to ultimate life happiness that I had been working so hard for was severely unclear. The only thing I knew I wanted at 22 years of age was to get away from my college town and start fresh. I saved up some money working in a restaurant, finished out my lease, and moved into a cozy little apartment in Chicago with my best friend. I made great tips serving in a busy bar downtown and just lived in the moment - carefree, worry free, wild and free.

Fast-forward two years later...

At 25 years old, I was on the verge of being kicked off of my parents insurance with no future career plans. I had suddenly become aware that my carefree lifestyle was not exactly the version of "societal success" I had been taught to achieve my whole life. The realization had finally hit that I had to get my life together and get myself one of those "big girl" jobs...fast. I scrounged up a resume, interviewed at a few offices, and ended up with an offer to work in sales at a logistics company in the city. I was desperate to find any kind of career path with benefits and stability, and they were willing to hire me. I ignored the agonizing reality that my freedom was quite literally flying right out door and accepted the job.

I was thrown hard into the real world.

My lack of passion for my career coupled with the stress of working in the business world left me looking a little something like this: A mid-20's college graduate living the "American Dream" - working two jobs to get by, crying in the bathroom stall at work once a week due to lack of sleep, stress, overwork, and mundane redundancy. I was seriously depressed, anxious, and barely able to find joy in the things I loved. I was quite literally working my life away.

I lasted a year.

I realized I had to get myself out of there and fast, before I totally lost myself. I wanted something more out of a career than just my basic needs met. I wanted a job that I could be passionate about, that I enjoyed doing, and that didn't feel so much like work. I realized that if I wanted a life-long career that fit me, I had to find out exactly what it was that I wanted in life. 

Enter some serious soul searching.

In the end, I wanted to pursue my passion for traveling. I didn't necessarily want to just leave my whole life behind with just the belongings on my back. I still wanted the stability of a career and a place I could call home. I wanted to meet new people and I wanted a job that was exciting and different every day. I wanted something that could stand up to my love for spontaneity and desperate need to discover the world. Searching for an occupation that contained those things led me to find a career and lifestyle that covered my basic needs AND fit the person I am.

So here I am, one year in to being a flight attendant for a major commercial airline, happier than I have ever been.