The Light at the End of the Tunnel

There will be times when you face many tribulations in your life and start to question everything; am I doing what I love, do my loved ones love me, am I content where I am? I know this because I asked myself these questions a while back.

2022 was a challenging year for me. I graduated college and a world of unknowns had just opened up. One of those being: Where am I going to live? One thing I knew for sure was that returning to New York was not an option because I belonged to Mass.

During the first months of the year, the worry of not knowing the future of my housing situation prevented me from truly enjoying my last semester of college. Not only was I stressed out looking for apartments and a roommate, but the rent prices were through the roof. One studio was going for $2,300 like… whut. 

On top of this, I did not have a stable income. As you know, there is no such thing as one in Real Estate. I had applied to different jobs. None of them being; corporate/banking jobs or anything that resulted in business world environments. One thing I knew for sure was that I was not made for those kinds of jobs. I ended up working at a catering company because: it was a 1099 job, it paid well, and I created my schedule. Now common, who doesn’t love this? 

I enjoyed the job and the people. I worked there for a few months. However, during the fall of 2022, I started to think that I needed something stable. Every decision that I make, I always think of my future children and how this will impact them. (Side note: At times, this kind of thinking is good, but at others not so much because it prevents you from being a little reckless and putting yourself first ahead of your "unreal children" lol.) Because of that thinking rationale and the fear that I was setting up my future kids for failure because I was not getting matched with an IRA or getting premium health insurance from my employer, I decided to apply for jobs that had the “benefits.”

Career-wise, I found myself in a pickle, and let me explain to you why with total transparency. I loved the education I received at Babson. However, at times it felt like that education was targeted at certain individuals. Bare with me: Babson focuses on building well-rounded Entrepreneurs. They do this by exposing their students to the ins and outs of the business world through courses like; accounting, economics, quantitative methods, finance, operations, marketing, technology, bla bla bla bla. You get it. Heavy business courses. 

They want their students to become entrepreneurs, start their own companies, and take over the world! Sometimes, 9-5 jobs were looked down upon because they did not fit the mentality of “Be your own boss!” One of the reasons why I didn’t want to get a 9-5 was because of this, and because they ingrained in us that these kinds of jobs did not value our time. Well, I hate to break it to you Babson, but not everyone can afford this :/

After working for the catering company and trying out Real Estate, I realized I needed to be realistic. I was not going to start a business out of nowhere because I did not have any capital. This meant I had to go back to the drawing board and apply for jobs that were going to pay well and allow me to save some cash to truly do what I love; Travel, invest and help people.

Not only was I having a housing and career crisis, my social life was nonexistent. Upon graduation, my friends returned home. I had moved to a predominantly white town filled with children and the elderly. Because of this, finding community was challenging. 

Additionally, I had officially decided to get out of the relationship I was in. As much as we both tried to make it work, I couldn’t continue to do it to myself. I was emotionally drained and out of it. At times I didn't recognize myself because I was accepting things that the old me would have never been okay with. I constantly found myself not happy because I was tricking my mind into believing a miracle was going to happen and everything was going to change. I was falling in love with the possibility of that change, and this prevented me from seeing reality. I was desperate, drowning, and needed a way out. One morning I woke up and said “No mas.” I thank God to this day for giving me the strength to stand up for myself and choose what was best for me. 

All of these unknowns made it challenging for me to see the real purpose of life. Recently, after careful reflection and growing in my faith, I learned that I was very strong. I was able to face all of those battles and never gave up. At that time I had help from a friend, whom I didn't know much of.

So, what are my updates on all those unknowns? 

• I am currently living with a wonderful roommate. She makes me laugh and we make pizza every week :) 

• I am currently working as an administrative assistant at an accounting firm near where I live. The irony, I am not very fond of accounting and look where I am working lol. The job is good. My coworkers are wonderful. On the side, I do Instacart and Uber which I love.

• I found community in my church. I have made wonderful friends and found a place where I belong. I also visit my cousin more frequently and call my mom and sister on FaceTime every day. 

• I am happily single and finding myself. I am at peace knowing that God has my future husband safe somewhere. This brings me peace because I know that we will eventually meet at His timing :)  

Am I doing what I love? Not really. Am I happy? Absolutely. Through all these unknowns I learned that God is always working. My life will eventually work itself out. Why? Because He already wrote and planned my story. He also wrote and planned yours. Our mission is to live with Him and learn from all the trials He puts ahead for us. To remember that once we face ourselves with a tunnel full of unknowns, He will be standing next to us holding our hands and guiding us.

At times I ask myself, if my faith would have been as strong as it is now, I probably would have enjoyed my last semester at college more. However, I am very thankful that I came late into my faith. Because of this lateness, I learned a valuable life lesson; to look at your unknowns as a period of work and transformation. One you have to go through to be the best You God has in store for the world. 

Thank you for giving me the time of your day to read this piece. If you have any questions regarding anything do not hesitate to ask me. If you have any suggestions or want me to talk a specific topic, either hit the chat, or email me :)

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stay tuned for my next blog -> I was Reborned on 4/4/24

XOXO Yerika