133. Writer Sees Meaning in Indirect Path to Her Dream

A strong attraction to professions that serve others—and a guidance counselor’s advice—set Christina’s early career path. “I believe each of us has a path, and criminal justice was it for me.” Her work built her self-confidence. Gradually, writing became a dream she could believe.

In law enforcement, “Sometimes you’re dealing with people right when they’re in their pit of despair. It took me awhile to see how writing could fit into my desire to help. That changed when people who read some of my writing would say, “I really needed to read that today!”

“When I was thinking about moving to California, I thought of all I’d be leaving behind. Then, a friend said, ‘Maybe that’s not the issue. You need to think about what you could gain.’ When I made that switch, I thought, ‘It IS a possibility!’ And I became absolutely excited.”