When it came my turn to post again, I decided to take the lead from several of my MMC colleagues who have recently reflected on a variety of topics – Danae Danta on her New Year’s Resolution; Sarah Pfeiffer on what makes her a New Yorker; Anne Court on turning 30. 

Two years ago my brother TJ moved to Vietnam.  His motives were multifacited but most notably he embraced the opportunity to live and gain journalistic experience abroad.  As Managing Editor of AsiaLIFE magazine, there is a lot to learn from him and his amazing journey.

• Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump – TJ applied for a visa, packed three bags and bought a plane ticket…to a place where he knew only one person, didn’t speak the language, didn’t have a job and didn’t have an apartment.  While this is an extreme for the majority of us, taking a plunge (even a small one!) can be absolutely exhilerating. 

•  Commitment and passion will always get you to where you want to be- His passions may have evolved over the years but TJ’s dedication has never faltered.  Know what you are passionate about and stay committed to getting where you want to be.  Accept that there are bound to be detours along the way – who knows though, they might turn out to be a little refreshing.   

• During life’s happiest moments it is somewhat unbelivable how much champagne you can consume – The unscheduled but impecable timing of TJ’s first trip home and my engagement proved this point beyond a reasonable doubt.  I think we can all agree that whether you are toasting a success, a milestone or just a good day, life is definitely better with champagne!

• There are times in life when you have to try really, really hard not to cry – It may be a cliché; however I’ve never been great with good-byes and they get a lot harder when your brother lives almost 9000 miles away.  Sometimes you have to suck it up in a tough situation –  they are usually difficult for a reason.  More often than not they will prove a critical piece to your long-term success…and in hindsight you’ll probably wonder why you thought they were so difficult to begin with anyway!

• It doesn’t matter how old you get, your parents will always worry about you – And for some reason, when they can’t get a hold of you, they’ll assume your sister Kate has a secret bat phone she can contact you with.  So call your parents.  Regularly. 

• Miles will never truly separate you – But when they try, thank god for social media!