Everyone has disappointments. The secret is remembering the past, and trusting that the future will unfold as planned. A dear friend of mine once told me that if I wanted to hear God laugh, I would tell him my plans. And she’s right, at least in this case.

As a college student, I was tempted to move to a big city after graduation. I felt that if I truly wanted to  pursue my dreams in broadcasting, I had to go where the most opportunities were. I didn’t want to live in Los Angeles, but I was young and naïve, and I thought things wouldn’t happen for me unless they happened out there. I’ve always trusted my gut, and I felt this was meant to be. I now know that even if my instincts tell me to go in one direction, it doesn’t mean the path won’t quickly change.
My sign to go to LA came from one of my best friends from high school, Kate, who was living there to pursue a music career. Her cousin was an artist who was moving to Europe for a few years, but he wanted to keep his apartment in Hollywood as well. Kate invited me to live with her in her cousin’s rent-controlled apartment, the perfect opportunity for someone in my financial situation. The only thing is, and all of my siblings will agree, I am the family princess, and I had to convince my parents this was a wise move.

There was one other obstacle: my boyfriend of five years, Kiel. I never felt the pressure to choose between love and career; he’s my biggest fan. Every TV show I hosted and newscast I anchored in college, he was behind the camera smiling, usually with my Starbucks in hand. I knew he would support my decision, and he did. He said he would help me make all the plans and even set up a residency for himself for the summer. I did everything short of a full, mapped-out PowerPoint presentation to show my parents that I had all my bases covered and was ready to take care of myself away from home. I don’t know if it was my impressive presentation or my history of persistence that made them come around, but by the end of the day, we were buying my plane ticket and laying down the first couple months rent.

Then, life happened. Three days before my flight and only a few hours before my car was to be picked up for shipment to LA, Kate called to tell me that there was an eviction notice on the door. I remember thinking she was messing with me because she sounded so calm. I repeatedly told her that it wasn’t funny. Did she have any idea what I had been through? I’m not one of those people who can just pack a bag and move across the country. This was the biggest thing I had ever tried to do on my own, and I was blowing it. She was willing to just accept it. She figured the landlord probably wouldn’t have let us sublease anyway, and her cousin was no longer in the country to fight for the apartment himself.
I finally coaxed her into talking to the landlord, who informed us that Kate’s cousin owed many months in back-rent. There was no way we could pay what he owed even if the landlord would’ve let us. With that, I learned my first hard lesson in life.

As someone who is constantly trying to defy their green branches and prove that I am just as capable as the rest, this was a hard disappointment to bear. I had to face my parents to not only to tell them of the money I had cost them, but to admit the one thing every child hates to tell their parents: I don’t know everything.

What I also didn’t know was just how many opportunities Nashville has. LA was an easy way out when jobs were hard to find. Not long after the failed attempt to move west, I got my first big break. I was hired as an entertainment reporter for the most prestigious news station in town, to appeal to the 20-somethings on all things happening in music, art and entertainment. I got to report on what I was passionate about and learn from some of the best in the business. The experience was not only invaluable, but it allowed me to discover so many other talents and passions in radio, writing, music and producing. Why did I feel like I had to chase my dreams somewhere else when I can make them happen anywhere?

Another thing I learned was that an even better plan was being made that I wasn’t even aware of. I didn’t know that there was a diamond ring waiting for me in a safe in my parents’ home, and that Kiel was planning to propose before I told him that I was moving to LA. Proving even more just how much he cares about me, he kept his plans secret for fear they would affect my dreams. This all was revealed months later when I walked into a room at the top of Union Station, one of our favorite places downtown. A digital picture frame scrolled through every memory we’ve had in our five years together, and the love of my life was on his knees presenting the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. We are planning to marry this Christmas here in Nashville with all of our friends and family.

There is a saying that fate can only take you so far, but once you are there it is up to you to make it happen. I also believe that you can fight to get where you want to go, but sometimes something bigger than you steps in. Trust that the path you think you should take may have more stops than you plan for, or perhaps a different destination, but there is beauty and purpose in all of it. The things you are denied can be your greatest blessings; look past the disguise, and you will never waste another tear.