Pilot: Everyone’s Favorite Day
Do you believe in fate? Well, I suppose that’s a bit much. Maybe I should ask if you believe everything we do is meant to happen. I mean, in a way, I accidentally chose my university major because I didn’t know Communication Studies and Communications were two different things. That ended up being the perfect major for me. Heck, the university I ended up attending was also accidental. I’ll touch more on that at another time. The point is, now that I look back on it, I never foresaw my life changing because of an app. It wasn’t YouTube or Vine (the app that got me through high school). Allow me to explain how I came across this unique app.
It was December 2016. Fresh out of my second college in as many semesters and navigating through a haze of uncertainty, I found myself in a state of aimlessness. College attempts had left me unfulfilled, and motivation seemed like that person you follow on social media but have no idea who they even are or why you follow them. Little did I know, a simple decision made on a slow night in the Winter would set the stage for a big, gradual shift in my life’s story.
Picture this, 19 year old me huddled in my bedroom, sketchbook in hand. The initial plan was to go to art school since that was what my grandfather always suggested since I was about 12 years old. Yet life, as it often does, had other plans. While I was sketching figures and watching anatomy tutorials, a thought surfaced: “What if I learned Japanese?” I was a fan of anime, so the thought of working with manga (Japanese comic books) and watching shows without subtitles crossed my mind. Fast forward to the Google Play store, and amongst language learning apps galore, there it was – HelloTalk, the app that would change everything.
Little did I know that a seemingly ordinary decision made on a slow Winter night would be the starting point for life-changing events. This wasn’t like Duolingo or Memrise. It would go on to become a compass, pointing me towards opportunities and experiences I couldn’t have imagined, like this blog! The aimless wanderer began to find purpose, and motivation blossomed from the connections and conversations forged within the app.
December 19th, 2016, wasn’t just a date on the calendar; it was a turning point, a day that reshaped my story in ways I couldn’t have fathomed.
But that’s enough for now. I don’t want this to drag on too long.
Before we go, though, do you remember what I asked you at the beginning? What’s your answer? I’ll go first, so allow me to tap into my inner storyteller for a bit. The grandest stories can sometimes emerge from the simplest decisions. How was that for an answer? Anywho, this is just the tip of the cultural iceberg, folks.
Thanks for reading! If you happen to want to download the app, tell the support team that this blog sent you there (this isn’t a sponsorship)! Next time, I’ll tell you about my first few days using the app. Be sure to come back in a couple of days for that!
