At the ripe old age of 8 years old, I had conquered all fear. I went indoor skydiving, hurling myself into a tunnel of wind without a care for gravity. I signed up to sing in talent shows despite being tone-deaf. I constantly took on new projects, and sought new challenges to tackle.
Yet, as I grew older, my weekends became substantially less interesting. The waiver, terms and conditions attached with going airborne suddenly became much more daunting, especially when I started reading them. I stopped signing up for things I was not good at, content with sitting in the audience. I assumed it was just part of growing up.
Life was supposed to get quieter, more routine. I did not question how my days no longer seemed to sparkle. I just accepted it.
Until I was thrust headfirst into The Sidekick. Over the course of my three years in the program, I filled my head chock-full of shining memories.
I remember crouching on the damp turf at 12:15 a.m., with turf pellets in my shoes and a dying phone in hand. I was interviewing a star soccer player following a match delayed more than two hours by lightning. I had to be up in a few hours, and had not so much as glanced in the direction of a bed. Somewhere between jotting down quotes and checking my dwindling battery percentage, I found myself enveloped in a moment I never would have stepped into on my own. There is no room for a monotonous routine when each story pulls me in its own direction, dragging me out of what is familiar and pushing me to explore what I otherwise overlook.
There were also some moments that did not look exciting at first glance. It is not flashy, but there is a rush to be found in the gripping honesty of storytelling. Listening as someone walks you through the choices and chances that changed their life lets you see the mess and meaning all at once. I realized discovery does not always come with action. Sometimes, it is just about paying attention.
Being a part of this program reawakened a sense of adventure I didn’t realize I was missing. Every story I undertake is another roll of the dice. I never know if today I will be staring at my email inbox waiting for a response, or standing under an umbrella in the pouring rain, sharing it with a coach, promising just one more question. There is no set path, no neat outline. Yet, that unpredictability gives me opportunities to see a new little corner of the world every day. It is built from the same curiosity that once pushed me to leap into wind tunnels or belt off-key at talent shows, but now it has found a new footing in journalism.
As we grow older, many of us start trading in the impulsiveness of childhood for something more calculated. We plan more. We risk less. But I’ve learned that growing up does not mean growing out of wonder. It just means looking for it in different places.
It might be found in appreciating an experience that does not go the way you planned. It might be found in feeling the thrill in the twists and turns of life.
For me, it was in journalism.
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