At the quickly ripening age of 30,I still believe in lucky socks. Mine are plum with a knitted texture right up the side. I wore them and the most amazing thing happened: I got two jobs in the same week.

Two really fun jobs.

I am a writer. I talk about sentence structure and word choice the way some people gush about their kids. It’s been my passion since I was very young -at eight, I tried to write a textbook about aquatic animals. At 16 I filled notebook upon notebook with my horrific handwriting and poems about boys I “loved.” At the age of 22, I went on nearly 20 job interviews, trying to find any company that would pay for me to write. And I finally did.

I’ve since matured. Through trial and a lot of errors, I managed to make a living by doing the thing I love the most. Every day, I thank the entity I believe in at the moment (fate? the universe? the power of positive thinking?) that I’m on the winding road of the wordsmith.

I don’t want to say too much because I’m superstitious. So I’ll keep it short. Wear your lucky socks and believe in yourself. Your career, your love life, your personal life will be as good as you make it. Keep going to bat and eventually, you’ll hit the ball. It’s a simple equation.

Before you leave the country, be sure to pack a suitcase full of positivity. You’ll need it.