This is not so much a story of a single moment in my life, nor is it a concluded story. It is more of a glimpse into the road I am travelling, itself still being under construction.
I grew up with two scientists as parents (and teachers as grandparents), and rational thought as well as an academic career were always highly valued and implicitly expected. And I loved that, I thrived in this environment and for the longest time, held rational thought and academia as superior to all alternatives. And so I studied. I started a career as a researcher. I started my doctoral thesis.
For this to be a compelling movie, I would now have to introduce THE MOMENT everything changed. That key situation, foreshadowing what is coming. I am sorry, but I’ll have to disappoint.
It is just, that over the years, as I grew older and got to know myself better, I came to reevaluate things. Not just things, actually, but to reevaluate myself. And I learned things I did not expect: I am much more of a people person than my younger self ever imagined. I am very empathetic and I am good at understanding other people’s needs and desires. I like organizational tasks as well as analytical thinking. I like taking charge and being creative. And, last but most definitely not least: I don’t just love to travel, I actually would love to be on the other side of that interaction, be the host, make people feel welcome.
I am aware that to others, these insights might not sound like much, but for me it was quite a step to acknowledge this other part of me that diverged from the path I had for such a long time thought of the only real option. It took courage to do what I did next: I quit my thesis, I stopped working as a researcher, and I took the first steps towards my new goal, the newly build fork in my road: to open and manage my own hotel.
I have to admit though, that I relied on an old tactic of mine to make the jump: whenever I want to do something but am at the same time frightened at the prospect, I forge ahead, forcing the new reality into being, so I don’t chicken out. It worked when moving to India for six month to volunteer at a children’s home, and it has worked this time. But because of not quite taking this steps with my eyes open, I would rate my courage at about 6 to 7.
So, where do I stand now? I started my Masters in Hotel Management and after only one week my head is buzzing with the new information and inspirations that it gives me. I am so completely new to this and I am comparatively old to start this new chapter in my life. But I have learned that these obstacles are at the very same time my advantages. I know what I want quite clearly and am much more confident than when I was younger. And being so new also helps me think more critically about the different aspects of the industry I am entering, which will help me stay true to myself as I forge my own path. My past is not a hindrance or ballast, it shapes my perspective and I appreciate that. My goal is not an easy one to reach, maybe it would have been easier, had I started at a younger age but still: I wouldn’t want it to any other way
Eva Jannat
Diana Eid Dibos