Who I Am
I’m originally from a suburb of New York City, but I moved to Malibu, CA nine years ago. I absolutely hated Los Angeles when I first moved. I felt like there was no community and no togetherness—something I have now realized is so important to me.
I’ve always thought I had a vision of what I wanted to do, but since starting college everything that I thought I wanted has completely changed. I want to move back to New York when I graduate, I feel more comfortable and confident in New York. I want to help people and create opportunities for people who traditionally don’t have them. Starting my own affordable housing development company is what I would love to do.
I have no idea how I am going to get there. I’ve always been such a planner, but every time I make a plan it never goes how I want it to. All I know is I am going to do whatever I have to in order to be happy.
I would say I am very similar to my parents but in different ways. I get my personality from my mom—we are both very outgoing. I get my humor and my stubbornness from my dad.
My parents and I define success differently. For them, success comes in the form of achieving professional goals and being financially secure. For me, success is being happy with the person I am and living a life I can honestly enjoy.
I have really high expectations for myself. I feel the need to always be perfect—say the right thing, act a certain way, achieve on a higher level. I get so caught up in trying to be a perfect version of myself that I find it hard to just relax and be me. My dad has always had high expectations for me. A lot of the time I feel pressure to be like him and pursue a career like him, which makes it hard to be candid with what I want to do with my future.
RBG is my role model. Her passion, dedication, and commitment are so inspiring. She never stops fighting for people who can’t fight for themselves.
I have always had a connection to giraffes. I love how they are high above always watching and observing. Giraffes seem like a very loyal animal—loyalty and trust are everything I look for in relationships.
When I was younger, there was a large field of sunflowers by where my grandma lived and every time that I came to visit her I would go and sit out in the field for hours with my head on the ground looking at the sky. I am most calm when I am outside surrounded by only nature.
My sun sign is 13 degrees Scorpio
My moon sign is 19 degrees Libra
My rising sign is 11 degrees Cancer
I really enjoyed the memory you shared of your grandma's residence and the sunflowers. While it's a short passage, the description is evocative and relatable. I can also relate with always striving for perfection and the consequences of that pursuit. The quest for happiness is long and arduous and requires sacrifices along the way.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, I really enjoyed this post! I am sorry to hear that you did not feel a great sense of community here in LA like you did in NY. I value having a community and being a part of community very much and it seems like you do too. The fact you are striving to build affordable housing for people as a career just goes to show it really does matter to you!
ReplyDeleteI love how you define success. What is the point of doing anything if you're not happy? There is only so far we can get as human beings without happiness, but as long as you are following the path you want for yourself, I think happiness will lead the way for you! I kind want to live in New York at some point in my life, too, but first I am going back abroad to finish what we got ourselves into before the pandemic ended it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Rachel! Definitely share the same feeling about LA with regards to the lack of community feel. I am also moving to New York post-graduation, so looking forward to that experience. RBG is such an awesome role model, and the way she puts things always resonates with me. Also - interesting take about loyalty and trust with giraffes. I definitely see what you're saying, just never thought about them that way.
ReplyDeleteI totally resonate with how you measure success. It can be tough to deal with parents' expectations when they can be so different from your own, but it sounds like you have made outstanding progress in charting your own goals and expectations in life. Affordable housing is an amazing cause and I wish you the best!
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