Do what you love.

I started high school knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my life: Architecture, for which I have a BARCH in. Fast forward to 2022. In the nearly eight years since finishing school a lot has changed.

I matured and found myself, I’m happy with who I am (the first time I can say that without lying through my teeth), I moved to a new state, I moved to a city where I didn’t know a soul, I fell in love, I was laid off (…COVID-19…), I moved in with my in-laws, I got married (2022!), and I found a new job.

Also, I’m not an architect anymore. In fact, I have left the architecture industry.

What happened?

Well, A LOT! Mainly, I assessed what “Do what you love” meant for me.

Do I love to work? Truthfully? No. There are aspects I thoroughly enjoy and can happily spend many hours doing, but do I LOVE work? No. So, I asked myself, what do I love doing?

My response: I love spending time with family and traveling. Where I was in my career didn’t provide me with what I needed to enjoy the things I love doing. Call it an unfortunate combination of living in San Francisco + an architect’s salary… the two don’t always mix together well.

My solution: pivot into the tech industry. How hard can it be right?!… I actually found it to be really challenging, and the process broke me every day. But anyone can do it with the right commitment, focus, time, and financing (in my case it was living with my in-laws and unemployment checks). Oh yeah, and a strong emotional support system goes a long way.

I was trained in architecture. I spent 6 years working in architecture. Since 2021 I have been working in a data management/project management role at a tech company. My work has nothing to do with architecture and every day Imposter Syndrome knocks on my door. Yet now I can work remotely, I am able to live in the San Francisco Bay Area on a budget, and can travel to see family and the world.

My passion is still and will forever be architecture and design. It’s what fills and fuels my creative soul.

I’ve found that what works for me is actually not doing what I love. Instead, doing what enables me to enjoy doing what I love.

If you’re feeling lost try re-framing advice you hear all the time. For me, it was letting go of the idea that I should love work. It’s okay to not love work, so long as it doesn’t negatively impact your day-to-day, embitter you, or change who you are.

— This is how I feel at 33. My 22-year-old self would have strongly disagreed with what I have just written. I’m fascinated to see how I feel when I’m 44.