We asked some of the city’s most brilliant and creative minds to tell us about the most difficult decision they’ve had to make.

Theresa Anderson | Owner, Sweet Paper

I’ve always had a passion for travel and a strong desire to live in another country. A few years ago I discovered the world of digital nomads and was immediately hooked. I would spend hours researching how people managed to work and travel the world at the same time, exploring a new place every few weeks or months. Soon my instagram feed was filled with travelers and their adventures. At first it was just a far fetched dream considering I didn’t have a remote job. Quite the opposite, I own Sweet Paper, a stationery and gift store in La Jolla, CA. I had never been away from the store for more than 2 weeks at a time. I was physically there 5-6 days a week for 8 hours a day. I thought I had to be there, in person, all the time. Even though it seemed highly unrealistic, I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head. Read more>>

Michael LeClerc | Professional Musician/Singer-Songwriter

Taking a chance on myself and leaving my hometown. Getting on the adventure bus and heading out in this World to see who you really are. trying new things wasn’t necessarily difficult but challenging when you have only you to rely on. Read more>>

Darshana Patel | Poway Unified School District Board of Education

There have been many challenging, high-stakes decisions in my lifetime and I’m just 46! Before 2020, I would have said choosing to put my six-figure career on hold to raise my three daughters and serve my community was the most difficult decision I had made. This year, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, I can firmly say that deciding the educational fate of over 36,500 students, about 5000 employees, and all of the families they belong to has been the most difficult decision in my lifetime to date. As an elected school board member for Poway Unified School District, I certainly didn’t have the authority to make this decision on my own or in a vacuum. Since we are public education, we have Federal and State regulations, education codes, and employment laws to follow, plus trying to meet the diverse needs of our families. Read more>>