Year 17. The teacher asked us spontaneously to write down our dreams.

I write two lines.

2005, the path to a competitive college is stressful.

We sit for the whole day. Heads buried behind piles of books. Free headspace is a luxury to imagine the unknown.

The teacher asked us spontaneously to write down our dreams. I write two lines.

Travel the world with a camera.

Prove that I am an independent woman.

A moment that can't be more normal. But the whispers plant the seed firmly in the fertilizing mind. It takes a decade for the whispers to reverberate into a strong signal. But a life-saving one at the edge of despair.

Never neglect the small actions now. I am the hero I need in the future.