Last Thursday, I accepted my first job offer with Walmart Corporation in their Logistics Department!!! Words cannot express the amount of excitement I am experiencing. It is all kind of surreal in a sense. I am going to be an intern for 10 weeks in Los Lunas (basically Albuquerque), New Mexico. Now, this is truly spectacular. But I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t a little scared.

In essence, I am a homebody. I love living in a little nook. It doesn’t matter which little nook it is, but I like my certain space. With my coffee cups, and comfortable bed with mounds of pillows, with Tita sleeping on her blanket, and a mounted TV. I like having a little desk, with all of my pens, decorated pads of paper, picture frames, bulletin board, and comfortable chair. I like my bathroom counter to have ceramics, tooth brush holders, kitty ring holders, and warm towels. I like my jewelry boxes, with my incense by my bed, and 20 candles scattered throughout.

This may seem like, hmm sounds pretty spoiled to me. But that’s not what I’m trying to say. I just love comfort. It is my best environment.

Starting May 8, I am going to be completely thrown out of this comfortable environment for an entire summer. I am going to Hong Kong and Beijing for the first two weeks on a Global Supply Chain trip with TCU. Then, I’ll get back to the good ole U.S.A. on a Wednesday, pack up, and drive west to a place I have never been. Alone.

***

Connor is strongly thinking about accepting a job in Thailand, to teach students how to speak English. He is chasing his dreams of doing something he has wanted to do his entire life. To experience a foreign place, not knowing anyone, and not having a permanent home. He doesn’t really seem to be scared about this whole idea… Which is crazy to me. Because I’m really scared.

When I heard I was going to be relocated, I really didn’t think I was going to accept the job… I for one didn’t think my sweet momma was going to let me move to New Mexico by myself… But I also just didn’t know if I could handle it. So I thanked my interviewers for offering me the opportunity of a life-time, but told them I needed a couple hours to make my decision. I was offered to go to one of two locations: New Mexico or 45 minutes out of Lubbock, TX. (Let’s just say I knew immediately I wasn’t going to be living in Lubbock for 10-weeks). I shook their hands and hustled out of the building.

First, I called Connor. I was running wild not knowing what to do, telling him I didn’t know if I was going to take it because I was scared. I didn’t know anyone. How far is NM anyways? What am I going to do for 10 weeks?

He told me one thing: “Kendall, it’s a job. That’s what a job is. You get relocated and you’re not going to know anyone. Simple as that. Now this is a huge opportunity. Take it.”

Then I called my mom. She was SO happy. I mean after all, I was hired on-spot for a Fortune-ONE company, with the #13 Supply Chain in the entire world. There was really no way she couldn’t be happy. She was a little hesitant on New Mexico, and she told me to go to my adviser.

I walked in to Susan Sledge’s office, frantic that I had gotten the job. She gave me a huge hug and then we sat down together. I told her I didn’t know what to do. We talked for a while, going back and forth, and essentially she told me the following:

“You can do anything for 10 weeks. This is the opportunity of a life-time Kendall. You have a strong resume, but going into your senior year without a name brand on your resume is going to hurt you. Go to New Mexico. This is one of the best companies in the world that you could work for. Work hard. Read a lot. Watch your favorite shows. And get really really fit.”

So that was it. I did it. It’s kind of crazy, because for me, all I need is to get in the right mindset. It doesn’t matter how afraid I am. I am learning that my mind is truly the most amazing gift that God has ever given me. I can do anything for ten weeks.

***

Going into my junior year, I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do. I didn’t really like my business major anymore. I hated my sophomore year classes. I thought I wanted to completely change what I had always thought I wanted to do. But I still signed up for my classes, just as I had planned, and enrolled in something I had no idea about. Supply Chain Management. Everyone told me how much they hated the class, so I was a little hesitant the first day.

But I loved it. And I am really good at it, it turns out. My teacher and I immediately clicked and I started getting more and more confidence. Throughout the course of the semester, I started developing a game plan. I was driven again for the first time in college. While I always made good grades, it wasn’t like last semester. I fell in love with school again, which made every aspect of my life better and happier. I changed my major from Finance and Real Estate to Supply Chain at the end of the semester.

I really took a chance. Everyone told me I was crazy for doing that my junior year. “Why would you want to take supply chain?? Ughhhhh.” But that’s what made me happy at the time and I think it’s the best thing I have decided to do yet.

And that is the outlook I am trying to take going into this job in New Mexico. As I said before, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid. I’m really afraid to be honest. But I think this will be yet another thing in my life that proves I am capable of anything. Anyone is capable of moving mountains, all you have to do is put your mind to it.

I really challenge anyone who reads this to push yourself. Make yourself extremely uncomfortable. Do something you didn’t think you could do before. Try something new. Go somewhere new. Eat something new. Make something new.  Meet someone new.

There are so many things in this huge, wonderful world. Try to experience as many things as you possibly can. And enjoy each and every minute. Don’t think about being away from your cozy nook. Don’t think about the parties you’re going to miss with your friends. Don’t think about the negatives. Because then the experience will be ruined.

Think about the beauty of that exact moment. Share it with someone you love. And love yourself for taking a chance, because there’s no beauty in life without a little risk. And I know I will thank myself for taking this chance in order to succeed, even if I do miss out on somethings in the short-run. The long-run is much more important.

“Making a big life change is really scary. But, know what’s even scarier? Regret.”

“A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” –Grace Murray Hopper

“It’s hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” –Theodore Roosevelt

Cheers!

Kendall