This may come as a shock, but one of the first career paths my child brain latched onto was police officer. If you've met me in person, that comes as a laughable idea. Skittish, awkward me acting as a figure of authority? It's hilarious just thinking about it. Still, I had it in my mind as a child that I would grow up to do so. I even went as far as to dress up as an officer for Halloween two years in a row. So how did I get from police officer to professional dancer? Well, the reason I wanted to be a cop was because my dad was a cop. Of course he forbade this as he knew how taxing of a career it is, but the sentiment was there.

I've always looked up to my dad as a hero. I even have the documents to prove it. After my family moved houses we had to scour through dozens of packed boxes. Several boxes were full of old school assignments and old writing, many of them proclaiming my dad as my hero, role model, etc. From childhood and through my adolescence into adulthood, my dad has always been there for me.

I've written for Odyssey before about how supportive my dad has been to my dance education and career. That hasn't changed through another year of college. Now that I'm halfway through undergrad, my dad has been helping me think through what I plan to do once I'm done with school. He's sat with me and asked if my future plans have changed, and what moves I'm making to solidify my wants. It always feels nice to have my dad as my biggest cheerleader through life.

Every time I come home from school, I'll relax and watch TV with my family, when out of nowhere my dad will say, "I'm glad you're home," even if I've been home for several days or even weeks. Although sometimes coming home feels like putting the breaks on my life in San Jose, it's moments like those that make it all worth it, knowing that my dad will be there no matter what.