This is the last installment from our guest blogger, KSS, who wrote several posts as she went through her process of applying to graduate school — something she was not sure she would even attempt when we first met last July.

When I was an adolescent, my grandfather dispensed sound advice upon my upset regarding yet another out-of-state move. Just as I would begin to feel settled in a new place, news would come from my parents that we were set to move again. Concerning this particular incident, he said, “Think of moving as being an opportunity for you. Each time you move, your slate is wiped clean, and you are given the chance to start over again.”

I often think of his words now as an adult, especially during times of change, whether voluntary or involuntary. Perhaps it is a bit of nature (I’ve always tended toward movement) and perhaps it is a bit of nurture (my errant childhood) that makes the winds of change consistently blow transformation into my life. And perhaps, it is also the desire to start anew again. Sometimes, the winds in my life scatter things so minutely that I can hardly locate the pieces that used to form a whole. Other times, I am blown off one course and onto another. Ultimately, this has a dualistic effect where I am stimulated by the prospect of change, but equally overwhelmed at the notion of managing it alone.

Whatever the cause or reason, I see myself as a seeker in life. I seek many things similar to what most of us desire: joy, contentment, a sense of rightness in my life, love. It is this search that directs me in life, guiding me forward and fine-tuning my intuition as I go along. With each experience, I gain further insights into the essence of myself, what makes me happy, and what still needs tweaking. It was out of this desire to delve deeper that I began working with Daisy.

Collaborating with Daisy helped to eliminate many of the turbulent side of effects of my wandering ways as I stepped onto the path leading to graduate school. Clear and concise as she is, she deftly circumvented any indecision or backpedaling on my part. In turn, this enabled me to see my own habits as they cropped up, breaking my pattern of capriciousness so I could know when a change was necessary and when one wasn’t. This continues to be a great ratification for me as Daisy has acutely pointed out gifts that have always been with me, but were maybe a bit overshadowed by my want for a clean slate. As I head off to graduate school this fall, I leave with a stronger sense of self, and a more refined sense of seeking that instead emanates from within. With Daisy’s wisdom, I no longer feel a victim of the winds of change, but rather the driver of this centrifugal force.