Fast-forward two years…

I’m in Hollywood. Crazy. Especially because I can still remember talking to my mom at a very young age about what I want to be when I grew up. I told her: “I want to be everyone and do everything. I told her I want to be a doctor, a pilot, a lawyer, a scientist. I want to be a mother and a warrior, a dancer and an architect, a painter, a fashion designer, an FBI Agent, a fitness trainer, a musician, a writer, a veterinarian scientist…”

I was ambitious.

She laughed.

I realized all those things would be impossible. Then it hit me.

If I were to become an actress, I could be all those people, I could learn about their characters and live all those lives. It was that day I knew my dream was to become an actress. Which led me to buying that one-way ticket to where I am today.

I had just graduated from film school and was ready to embark on a new journey. And “new” was definitely the word for it. I was dealing with so many things I had never dealt with before. I was thrust into adulthood at a rapid pace, but eventually I was settled and could begin looking for a job.

Before getting into the next chapter I’ll need to share one thing with you…

I figured it would be an easy road. I thought anyone with decent talent, ambition, and a good heart could make it in Hollywood. I felt I had the qualities more than I actually did, which I soon realized I was wrong about. There was so much more for me to learn.

So I started meeting people from all around the world. I studied acting with some of the top acting coaches in the world. I was hungry for more.

The more I learned, the more I began to notice that I truly knew nothing.

One big thing I also observed was that there were thousands and thousands of people like me, striving for the same thing. But that didn’t concern me…I was ready to get into this beautiful, exciting journey.

I had this fire in me. I didn’t know entirely what I was doing, or whether I was doing it right( AND I STILL DON’T ), but I took the risk and that’s all what matters to me. And now the only horizon I see in my life is success because of the chances I was willing to take. I dared to leave my comfort zone and experience life far away from my family and friends and loved ones.

I believe anyone with a dream has to be willing to take the leap… because with extreme perseverance there can be great rewards.

So where am I today?

Well, I am not writing this article on a beach in Hawaii, nor from a high-rise apartment in Marina Del Rey. I’m actually writing this from a friend’s apartment off of Hollywood Boulevard, whom I’m staying with while transitioning to my new place.

Days have passed where I’ve stolen toilet paper from public restaurant bathrooms, and I’ve gone to sleep hungry because I was too tired to cook myself dinner.

Just yesterday, I was changing my home location settings on my GPS to a different address — and it came to me, that I’ve changed homes 3 times in the past 2 years.

You don’t have to be of a certain stature or age or success in your life to be able to reflect on what you’ve been through or what you’ve accomplished — for me that’s where I am today. I can reflect on the small things that have brought me here and can look forward to the bigger things that I want to achieve… because despite the rough times, these are still the important days that I want to remember for the rest of my life.