I began writing poetry from the moment I learned how to put pen to paper. I was fascinated with nursery rhymes and the children’s books that were more poetry than anything. Soon, I learned of writers like Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson, and E.E. Cummings and fell even more in love with their stylistic choices and the way they stirred my emotions with nothing but words on a page.

From the very first moment we were asked “What do you want to be when you grow up,” I knew. I wanted to be a veterinarian. I continued to believe this up through my first semester of college. The true answer to that infamous question was always nagging at me in the back of my brain, but I was so set on my course that I didn’t have the means to listen to that voice quite yet.

In grade school, English was always my favorite subject. I have forever been fascinated by the discovery of new words, new worlds in the form of books, and the elegant usage of punctuation. When I entered high school, a new creative writing course was being offered. My teacher at the time gave such incredible feedback and helped me to believe that what I was writing was valuable.

So, of course, I changed my major to psychology. I wanted to help people more than anything. However, I wasn’t too sold on the whole “statistics” thing. I continued to pursue this degree despite the odds, until one day something clicked. When I entered into my Introduction to literary study class in the first semester of my junior year, I was nearly brought to tears. This, I thought, is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I changed my major for the final time.

I was scared. I think we all have doubts about whether or not we can make it doing what we love. I don’t think any of that matters, though. As long as you’re happy, you’ve already made it further than most people.

What I’m getting at is you don’t have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life right away. You may be torn between more than one field of interest. Of all of the majors I cycled through, none of them were right for me because the point is to do what you’re good at, do what comes naturally, and do what you would be doing even if it wasn’t your job. They say when you find the person you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with, you just know. Well, I think it’s the same with careers. When the feeling hits, it should move you like nothing ever has before. Don’t go looking for it too hard. The answer may be right in front of you, and even if it’s not, it will come.