Off I went to a new city, a new adventure, higher education, greater dreams and hope for a much better future that in my mind would be fulfilling and rewarding. Boom i landed in Berlin, Germany the city I like to refer as the New York of Europe!

There I was 25 years old, ready to take on my masters which for me felt closer to my ultimate second dream, again education for most of us from the Pan African reach is the gateway to career fulfilment and better life.

Fast forward, I was living the ultimate life of the African millennial and to top it all a dreamer like myself. Easy access to public transport, great health care facilities, bureaucratic ways of systems yet systems that work, free and affordable movement to 28 European countries under the Schengen with no issues and are efficient.

In my mind this was it, this was where my career, life and fulfillment were set to build a foundation and take off on a great trajectory.

Then it happened, the time came where I needed to take up part of my research work back to Kenya. Now in my mind I knew I was going to spend 2 months of my time there and come back to Berlin and take off with graduating, a new job, a new apartment, a new life and fulfilment. But as the saying goes, ‘expect the unexpected…’ Fast forward, mother gets sick, life has to change and being an African first born automatically meant you become the mother and the saviour to everyone.

This millennials career dream took a 360 and two weeks in and out of Berlin packed up and back to my hometown to take on my new career trajectory…First born child!

Now I don’t regret being able to be there through it all, if I was given a chance to do it differently other than wishing my late mum back to life, I would do everything the same without even thinking twice. But the picture I am painting is so you can see, you just have no control over where, when or how your career starts. All you have control over is the preparedness for any situation to meet you ready.

The millennial embraced the shift; the first born & the mother figure, the motivator and the beacon of hope while shifts happen right In front of my eyes. This is where you get challenged, I had the choice to breakdown, give up and blame it all on stopping my life or keep moving through while everything happens around me.

Now I always tell people that African millennials are built differently. We are so resilient that sometimes we don’t notice how everything is up in flames because we always keep moving and hoping for the best.

In the midst of it all, I couldn’t let my dream career trajectory fall or even fail! In the midst of it all I stayed on course, was the beacon of hope at home, online and among those I came across. Fast forward months later, I get a job in our local county government in the tourism department as a tourism officer. Through my push, deliberate and intentionality this career step wasn’t envisioned, neither was it projected but it happened.

Exciting as it was, this millennial would now be able to have a bit of her own coins, pay taxes and have health insurance while still hoping for the best and a miracle for the life shift at home. Again that didn’t derail me, three months in an opportunity came up again all fully paid (things we love to hear) came up and found myself in china for 1 month training for additional skill as a tourism officer.

Fast forward after the month, the biggest career shift happened. One that I never manifested, never wished, never hoped nor pushed for. At the age of 29 I occupied one of the most powerful offices in our republic Deputy Minister ( Chief Administrative Secretary ) and the president who I always saw on television, heard on radio or seen on social media became my boss.THE PRESIDENT WAS MY BOSS AT THE AGE OF 29 Ya’ll!

This career shift happened and caught me by surprise. Was I well versed with what it entailed? No. Was I experienced with what was to come? No. Was I anticipating such a career shift? No. Was I qualified? I believe so. Was I prepared? Subconsciously I was. Was I the right fit? Absolutely.

It was then when my career trajectory shot up so high and only then did it make sense why I kept having push and pull energy when it came to coming back home, because the rounds I made were preparing me for what was to come.

A bigger percentage of us have no control of where our career trajectory would stop, where it would shoot up or where it would start. However, we have control of how we prepare ourselves, we have control of what we feel deep within and we have control of how we react towards shifts.

As my musing isn’t finished, at this point I have this to say; ‘Sometimes in the midst of our adventures, our own challenges, our own confusion and our own let downs, it is when we sprout into beautiful discoveries and powerful testaments.’

Remember this : It really isn’t about the success but the lessons that bring you onto the journey on the road less trodden on!’

To Be Continued.