Growing up in a small town, I thought my life would follow a predictable path: go to college, get a job, settle down, and maybe live in the same place I started. For the most part, that’s how it began, but life’s twists and turns shaped it into something I never could have imagined.

The real shift happened when I started pursuing interests that didn’t fit the “traditional” mold—whether that was traveling to uncommon places, learning new skills, starting a business, or embracing the joy of doing things my way. Each step taught me that life is less about fitting into a plan and more about making space for what lights you up.

One of my biggest lessons? You don’t need to have everything figured out to start something meaningful. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve come to realize that nobody really knows what they’re doing—and that’s okay. Life is figureoutable. Whether it’s a side business, a new hobby, or even the dream of building a home, all it takes is a willingness to learn as you go and the courage to take that first step.