My decision
Everyone has a different reason, motivation for the career path they chose. Through many conversations I came to understand that the most successful people are not the ones who always dreamed of having that career. Instead, they were the ones who made the right decision at the right time. Those that saw an opportunity they liked and took them.
For myself, I can say I am not one of those people. I had a very specific career in mind and I wasn’t letting go. The career was research in astrophysics, specifically I wanted to answer the understand the questions of the Universe, whatever those might be to a 7 year old.
Throughout my education I stuck by my dream irrespective of the sacrifice I had to make. I did a physics bachelor in my country and moved to the neighboring countries for my masters in astrophysics. I moved countries frequently, so frequently that building deep social connections, that are the foundation for resilience, became impossible. Finally, I ended up in Austria, where I realised that pursuing my dream hasn’t given me the fulfillment I expected and going forward would require a price I was no longer willing to pay. Moreover the probability of securing a permanent position became too low. This realisation was heartbreaking for me and it has been a long journey accepting it.