For the past few months, the whirlwind of uncertainty revolving around my life and career has somehow evolved into a tornado of angst and gusto!

Let’s rewind to the Fall of 2021, when I:

• Started transitioning into my new role as a Communications Manager with Microsoft HQ.
• Became a homeowner within a month and had to figure out the gleeful details of first-time homeownership.
• Survived the drudgingly tedious process of applying for my U.S. work visa.
• Played Omicron roulette by seeing my friends and family—who were vaccinated—over the holiday season.
• Struggled with figuring out my relocation details because not only did I have to move to the U.S., but I also had to fly across the country to move all my belongings from a place that I used to live in once-upon-a-time for 3 months before the pandemic crashed the party back in 2020.

*Takes deep breath*

Now fast forward to the present:

• Trying to figure out where my partner and I should live for the next 12 months as we start the beginning of our lives in the U.S. (and floundering over whether we want to be close to work or the city).
• Starting to create a design concept for our first home together
• Struggling to find a car because everything we want is going to need at least 2-6 months to come in… plus we can’t even get a car because I don’t have my darn Social Security Number yet!
• Spending hours listening to traumatizing elevator music as the Social Security Administration puts me on hold for booking an appointment to get my Social Security Number (which is needed for basically everything, from drivers license to getting a car).
• Balancing the logistical demands and novelty of my personal life and relocation with my onboarding and ramp-up into a brand new role with so many projects that are stretching my skills and work habits.
• Pursuing my personal ambitions with building the #kkarenism brand and earning side hustle income while being bombarded with so many opportunities that I don’t even know what to say yes or no to (so far I’ve been saying yes to everything and it’s been quite overwhelming 🥲🥲🥲).

As I type up this blog post with my heart beating at a hundred miles per hour—P.S. I miss the metric system—I am eyeing the clock because I know that I am missing my bedtime once again! Perhaps it’s the lack of mental clarity after another crazy day, but I can’t tell whether I am stressed out or excited AF… the resilient optimist in me is leaning towards the latter.

Anyways, a part of me feels guilty for ranting because this kinda feels like #FirstWorldProblems. At the same time, I wanted to share this experience to show that my life isn’t always as automagically smooth and seamless as many of you believe it to be 😅😅😅

Just like everyone else, there are a lot of ups and downs. However, I am a huge fan of “controlling the controllable” which means choosing to face everything with a growth mindset instead of a Salty Sally or Debby Downer attitude. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more life and career updates!

P.S. Huge shoutout to my partner for still hanging on to this crazy rollercoaster ride 🙏🏻🙏🏻

My personal philosophy is growing 1% everyday through finding inspiration to share with the world.

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