UMMM I TRANSFERRED SCHOOLS & MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY !!!???

Happy 2020. As if a global pandemic didn’t rock my world hard enough, I uhhh…. packed my bags and moved to NYC. Let’s start from the beginning, although I’m not exactly sure when the beginning really was, but I’ll do my best.

July 2020 — Still mid-pandemic and completely jobless. I went to Austin to spend a week with my best friend Christine, and one day I was ranting to her about how I literally don’t know how to find a job, where to go to school (read my diary entry about why I transferred from LSU), what to do for the fall semester, basically my life was one big ????? The reality hit me that school would be virtual probably everywhere, which meant I could be ANYWHERE and still knockout courses. & that was it. I was traveling somewhere new, no doubt. I didn’t know how or where, but I knew it had to be somewhere cool.

We immediately talked about where I should go and how I would afford living. My summer internship with Show Me Your Mumu in Venice, CA had already been canceled, so I was bitter towards California and refused to go. That left me with the other place my heart longed to be — New York City. I didn’t know how I would make it work, but I knew that my ass was booking a one-way. I then remembered some sketchy website that 16-year-old Maycie found that was basically babysitting abroad, or better known as being an AuPair. I found the website, reactivated my account, and began searching for families that needed a nanny. Immediately I started connecting with these families who were asking for phone calls, interviews, and if I would be willing to go to New York ASAP. Within a day or two of having this talk with Christine, I was on the phone with multiple families who were genuinely serious about me coming. What started as somewhat of a joke, like “Oh my god… I can live in New York while taking classes and nanny for money” turned into “OH MY GOD… I’M LIVING IN NEW YORK WHILE TAKING ONLINE CLASSES AND NANNYING FOR MONEY” real quick.

I called my mom a few hours later to tell her my newfound plan. And if you know me at all, I always have some sort of new plan in place because god knows I can’t sit still for long.

Luckily my parents are extremely supportive and were fine with the idea once they got more information and reassurance that the family was actually real and this wasn’t some sort of scam to kidnap me. Well, as sure as you can be in the given situation I suppose.

Within a week or two this was set in stone. I had a few phone and FaceTime interviews, they spoke to other families that I have babysat for, I spoke to their current AuPair, and my one-way to New York City was booked.

I remember everyone that I told was so confused. “You’re really moving to New York in the middle of a global pandemic?” “What are you going to do about school?” “How are you going to have time for class and nannying?” “How long are you planning to stay?” And to be quite honest, I didn’t have an answer to a single one of those questions. All I knew was that I wanted to experience, and one day land a job, in New York City, so I was willing to do whatever it takes in order to make that happen.

As people found out about me moving across the country, I received one comment in specific over and over again:

Like… There’s a global pandemic going on… Do you think my timing is any better? But it made me realize something… Possibly the greatest life lesson I’ve learned so far actually. And you need to hear it!

The time will never be right & your biggest end goals are not achieved by figuring out the answers BEFORE you pursue them. They are achieved by taking small actions everyday that align with your greatest dreams. Start where you are, with what you have, and figure the rest out on the way.

Like that is it!!! Stop f****** waiting!!! The perfect timing literally doesn’t exist. The only thing that exists is each and every current moment and what you do with it. I challenge you to think about your dreams and goals. What is one small thing you can do right now to align your future with them? I promise you that you will FIGURE IT OUT along the way. Please please please. I literally am begging you. Do not spend your life or your youth waiting until you have a perfect plan before pursuing the things that you deeply want. Create a website for your side hustle. Send the application to your dream school. Reach out to that company you’ve had your eye on for a while. Whatever it is! I’ve encountered so many people in the city that moved here with absolutely no plan, money, friends, or job, and are now employed with their dream companies, found the loves of their lives, and met their best friends all because they just made the jump. So whatever that small (but extremely important & risky) thing is for you, this is me telling & encouraging you to do it!

That will conclude my Ted Talk. I hope you understood what I was trying to say. Thanks for coming! 🙂

Xx

Maycie Rae