I’ve always loved going to school as a child. Very few of my friends can relate to it. My husband thinks I had some abnormality. But I have such good memories of my school days. I can’t remember how my classroom was because most of the time, we were learning outside, playing in one of the four or five outdoor parks the school had or in the movie-like cottage – which looked like a mansion to me at the time – where one of the school founders had lived years before.
That environment, which my parents chose very deliberately, taught me to see – or try to see – the task at hand as something good, something I wanted to do. I won’t say that mindset spared me from all kinds of frustrations as an attorney back in Brazil, where I’m from, or as a new journalist trying to connect with editors or even as a student having to produce high-quality content in a different language.
But having touched, as a child, the reality that the world is a place that deserves our attention, love and curiosity, I can move forward with a different openness.
As I transition from law to journalism, I realize that curiosity is not enough. As Amy Boyle and I reminded ourselves in the latest episode of the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast, life is not linear, and we must equip ourselves with solid values to chart territories that can be flat, mountainous or look like a tangled serpentine.
I never thought I would become a journalist. And when I decided to become one, I had no plans of writing in the first person for a blog or even freelancing. But that’s what I’m doing now, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
If you listen to this podcast regularly, you might remember a few stories that illustrate how certain values can help women and all people move forward. I write for the podcast’s blog, and I can name a few: the patience and perseverance of Carolyn Federman while launching the Charlie Cart Project to raise awareness about food education; the intentionality Dana Hirt defended when talking about parenthood but that applies to many other areas of our lives.
So yes, curiosity is essential to me as I shift careers. But listening and writing about those women makes me think about all the other factors that we, women, must consider not only to succeed but to be happy, find fulfillment and achieve peace.
I want to tell you about another episode that taught me a lot. There is no personal tragedy involved and no abrupt career shift. It’s “just” a woman, Susan Murphy, discussing her job, which involves helping journalists better use their voice to convey their message. Becoming a guest blogger for this podcast and a freelance journalist has given me many opportunities to think about my voice and how personal, assertive and compelling I want my copy to be. It’s been a challenging and rewarding adventure.
As usual, I turn to you as I end this post: what are your tips for embracing uncertainty and the surprises life presents?
Carolina Baldin is a freelance journalist from Brazil. Having worked in law, policy and regulation, she is passionate about everyday stories that illustrate larger issues. She graduated from a master's program at Northwestern University in 2023 and became a guest blogger on the "Speaking of Phenomenal" podcast blog in March 2024.
You can read more of my work on the Speaking of Phenomenal podcast blog, Block Club Chicago, Poynter, Medill Reports, GREY Journal and Energy News Network.