I’m 27, and I like the ring of it.

Shocking – considering 4 months ago when we last connected in April, I was struggling to get my life together after Remote Year ended. I was bedless, boyless, and broken – stringing together a series of temporary thrills without a solid foundation to make me feel like I could lean in and build a future.

Most people don’t know this, but I was planning on moving to San Francisco before I got into Remote Year. Crazy to think that I spent an entire year traveling to the most exotic corners of the earth and yet nowhere could compare to the “dream” of living in SF. I wanted to be here so badly that I gave up a 20K tax break and 2 months of my RY experience to be on a project in city.

And finally – one morning once the dust had settled, and my (body, soul, imagination) had been simultaneously nourished and destroyed by all my adventures.

SF was my “home”.

And I thought – Yes it’s finally real this time. It’s not “just another stop on my Remote Year”. The best part – I don’t have to talk about the shitty weather or the Bears, Bulls, or Blackhawks to make friends here. I’ll be authentic and meet people just like me – mission-driven, tech-obsessed, active/outdoorsy, most importantly – appreciate that SF is a speck in the universe – the beginning of a grand adventure, rather than the destination.

And I knew it would take time and effort, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be to “make friends and do epic shit” the way I did on Remote Year. I had been spoiled by a year of saying yes and hearing it returned, and the reality is the real world doesn’t operate in the same way.

I’ll never forget taking this picture and feeling so disappointed about choosing to live in San Francisco.

No Karl, I do not accept this rose – @meinalisasmiles.

• Get used to being rejected for an initial interview after the JD was written word for word off your own resume.
• Get used to being rejected on interview round 9 of 9.
• Get used to running into a lot of dead ends in your love life
• and a laundry list of other personal disappointments and failures that in retrospect were leaps and bounds in the right direction.

At the time, it was hard to see it from that perspective, and so I decided to do what any *sane* person would do instead – run away to Mexico.

Classic @meinlisasmiles move. 

Which turned out to be the best decision ever because it sparked the craziest series of events I’ve ever had the fortune of experiencing – coincidence intersected with intention in the most beautiful way – the kind of stuff that makes you believe that there MUST be a God somewhere in the universe and that he/she/it is good.

It’s a story that deserves it’s own post, and so I’ll save it for another day.

Instead, fast-forward to today – April showers bring Mei flowers – specifically:

• An amazing apartment ❤

Apologies for squealing like a 26 year old fan girl – my 27 year old self.

• A dream opportunity to work at a crypto startup

 

#worththewait

• The Comfiest (Smart) Bed Ever thanks to @eightsleep, @brooklinen & @cb2

and a selfish plug that I’m selling my entire closet on Poshmark because it’s doesn’t fit into my “SF basic” dress code…

• The occasional date or two a week

It’s casual.

• Still meeting way too many boys with connections to Boston (which I’m sure will become my 2019 NYE resolution)

Sooo bad, it’s good.

• And the regularly scheduled programming you’ve come to expect (a.k.a. travel)

First Batch Party Ever @ Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kub Reunion @ NYC, New York.

Going back to where it began @ Minsk, Belarus.

Catch me if you can @ Moscow, Russia.

Grand Finale @ St. Petersburg, Russia.

Channeling my inner “Cool” Mom @ Miami Beach, Florida.

And celebrating forever love @ Chicago, Illinois.

You know what my favorite part of about reflecting back on this year of 26 is? The fact that I created a list of 26 things I wanted to do when I was 26 and only “accomplished” 30% of it.

Why am I so excited?

I am thrilled because I didn’t take a more is more attitude to this year. I focused on quality and not quantity.  In January this year, I made a personal, “secret list” of life changes that matter and would be a part of a life that I considered epic – “8 or above” out of ten, and I am proud to say I’ve “accomplished” all but the last item on this list:

• Magically appearing in Medellin/Cartagena/Bogota (miracle) – check
• Making it to Austin for my dad’s birthday in February (also a miracle) – check
• Going to the Master’s Golf Tournament (an even greater miracle) – check
• Traveling a lot for work/fun and visiting #tramily on the way – check
• Moving to San Francisco – check
• Earning 50% more income in 2018 than 2017 (the greatest miracle of them all) – check
• Going to the World Cup in Russia with one of my best friends – check
• Seeing one of my best friends get married – check
• Studying for the GMAT and going to business school full-time – work in progress / pending (the fact that I love life too much right now!)

And by “accomplished”, I mean deliberately chose not check boxes and instead focus on things that were important while simultaneously, being blessed by a lot of rejection, patience, and ultimately opportunity.

Driving over fears that make us feel that we’re not enough.

@tommisch (so excited to see him play in October!)

Lastly, inspired lately (in all aspects) that less is so much more. Setting intentions and leaving plenty of room for chaos, adventure, and growth. Things I want to focus on at 27:

• Equal balance between work (33%), health/self (33%), and relationships (33%)
• Self-education on Blockchain, Venture Capital, and Entrepreneurship
• Partnering with @sarahskatz on SheDisrupts

And that’s all she wrote…because that’s all that mattered.

Thanks for listening!

xoxo,

Meina