The Importance of Gratitude

This entire week I have been sending out Thank You notes to the people I met at the BEA, regardless if they will help to advance my career. Everyone, from who I received a business card, was very forthcoming with information and seemed genuinely willing to help or at least speak to me.

For example, I met a woman named Monique Duncan. She created a book about fruits “D is for Dragon Fruit” and as the name implies there’s a different fruit for each letter of the alphabet. What was wonderful about this book is that the fruit weren’t the everyday fruits that we are used to seeing here in America. The title caught my eye because I recently discovered Dragon Fruit for myself. And instead of going into my 30-second introduction, I started to share some of my experiences from Vietnam with many of the fruits she described in her book. Eventually we got onto the topic of publication and she told me that she started her own publishing business. Right now, they are very small, only she and one other I believe. But I was very impressed. So, while going through my thank you emails I very much included her. Wishing her all the best in her future endeavors and hoping that we have an opportunity to speak again.

And that’s how they are pretty much going. I’ve heard back from a few offering unpaid internship opportunities, which I would absolutely love to be able to do. The experience would be worth it, if I had the money. I know that an internship would very nearly solidify my foot in the door. But at this moment in time, I am sorry to say, it would leave me destitute.

(The picture: Homeless - sometimes you get to watch it happen)