The beginning.

It was the end of high school. I wasn’t sure what to do next. Nevertheless, two choices were available to me.

Choice 1 : Apply to Ahuntsic College.

Choice 2 : Get a job and leave my parents' house.

Apply to Ahuntsic College.

I decided to go to Ahuntsic College. I took a two-year program in International Studies. It wasn't easy. During the second week of the semester, my teachers had already begun piling on the homework. My grades started to drop too low, so I made a snap decision about my time management and decided to put aside any distractions. Seeing myself losing focus was really maddening. Finally, I was able to pull off a passing grade in all of my courses. And after two great years, I graduated from college. Now, I can apply to the university or take a year off.

Choice 1 : Apply to the university.

Choice 2 : Take a year off.

Get a job and leave my parents' house.

I decided to leave my parents' house and go live on my own. But I wasn't making enough money to pay the rent. I've always wanted to travel around the world, so I had to choose between getting a roommate and save money for a house or to buy a one-way ticket somewhere in the world with my savings.

Choice 1 : Get a roommate and save money.

Choice 2 : Buy a one-way ticket with my savings.

Apply to the university.

I went to the University of Montreal for 3 years and got a bachelor's degree in International relations. I chose that program because it studies the social and cultural aspects of society like the poverty around the world or the situation of the refugees in America. Also, I learned a lot about conflicts between countries in my Politics class. But in order to become a diplomat I need a master's in International Studies. I can start working but in order to become a Diplomat I need to study 3 more years at the university.

Choice 1 : To work.

Choice 2 : Study three more years.

Take a year off.

I need to find a work to save money to be able to study next year, but I want to volunteer abroad this year to get new experiences.

Choice 1 : Get a roommate and save money.

Choice 2 : To volunteer.

Get a roommate and save money.

It's been ten years since I left my parents house. I have been working non-stop. My life has revolved around a drudgery work. I thought that I would get use into living this life, but the drive of work has become too much for me to handle. I'm not happy, and I hate my job. Should I find a new job or open my own business?

Choice 1 : Find a new job.

Choice 2 : Open my own business.

Buy a one-way ticket with my savings.

While travelling around the world I fell in love, at first, everything was alright. We would flirt with each other but things got quickly twisted. I started to feel uncomfortable because he was acting very aggressively toward me. And then one day he hit me because he said I was flirting with some guy. I was scared and took some distance from him. But this did not deter him. A few weeks passed until he decided to look for me, the dreaded moment had finally arrived, as I was opening my apartment door he hit me on the head. That night, I was a victim of sexual harassment by this perpetrator. Finally, my friend accompanied me to the police station to file a complaint about his misconduct. And I went back to my parents' house.

Choice 1 : Start again!

Find a new job.

I decided to do my own legwork and submit my applications to the companies with job openings that appealed to me. Shortly, I was contacted by the HR for a company in which I had previously applied. They told me that there were multiple vacant positions and that if I was interested, they would have to do a background check on me. Because I had everything in order, they contacted me to talk about the job. The main reason I was interested in a specific vacant position was because of the benefits that came with the compensation package. Just like the other vacant positions, it came with leaves of absence, a pension, and vacations; the only difference was the salary, which was higher. Finally, I was hired and became an employee at this company.

Choice 1 : Start again!

Open my own business.

My dream had always been to open my own business, and that is what I did. I finally had my small business; it was a big accomplishment indeed. For the first time in my life, I was happy to work overtime. I didn't feel alienated from work. Putting all this work into my company felt worthwhile. I finally found contentment in living a life far away from stress.

Choice 1 : Start again!

To volunteer.

I decided to volunteer. My friends were skeptical to volunteer with me because they said that they were a lot of disadvantages. Not getting paid when volunteering was a disadvantage. But I told them that by volunteering abroad we get the advantage to learn a new language which can increase our chances of having a premium wage. What's more, we are still young to waste our life in a dead-end job without any purpose. Finally, they decided to volunteer with me, and we did an in-depth investigation before travelling. In addition, we talked with some volunteers to get more information about volunteering abroad.

Choice 1 : Start again!

Find a job.

I worked in a law firm with a friend of mine to get our foot in the door. I saw the job like a test drive, now that I look back at it, thinking that way helped me a lot with my anxiety. While in my internship, some interns, myself included were a little bit overwhelm by all the things that we had to get done in so little time. I felt a lack of fulfillment at work. I wasn't sure why, but then I understood that I was simply surviving. I felt a sense of alienation at work, with my colleagues and with the organization I was working with. Their values weren't the same as mine, and it made me feel so powerless. Then, an opportunity came but at the same time I found another job.

Choice 1 : Wait for the opportunity.

Choice 2 : Choose the new job.

Study three more years.

I finally got my master's degree in International studies, and I can now start to work as a diplomat.

Choice 1 : Start again!

Wait for the opportunity.

We heard that a promotion was coming. This announcement represented a great job opportunity for everyone and an improvement in salary. But a few coworkers started to play office politics. More often than not, some coworkers were withholding important information related to work. Because of this situation, my credibility was undermined. I tried not getting sucked up in this mess. But not getting along with a co-worker hindered my work. Our workplace became a boxing ring. And this situation was emotionally affecting me. So, I decided to resign.

Choice 1 : Start again!

Choose the new job.

In the company where I work; corruption is really ingrained. It started when the integrity of my coworkers was lost because they got influenced by power and greed. That is when they started to do things morally questionable. In fact, they were accepting bribes from people of great power. But things got quickly worst. I was bribed with money; in exchange they needed my help. They were basically robbing the company. My conscience did not allow me to theft the company assets. I was soon fired from work, and I am glad because a friend of mine later found out that they were using threats of violence to silence people. I'm glad that I managed to escape from that situation.

Choice 1 : Start again!