On lazy days in late November – like today – I sometimes catch myself thinking about how “funny” life can be. Not in a humorous way, but in an unceasingly fascinating way.

Three years ago I left school early and set out to create a stable income so I could actively invest in real estate. I owned an LLC that was to be a holding company for real estate assets and had thrown in my lot with an investing group that I was certain would help me acquire great wealth. I checked my credit score at least once a week (even though it only updates once a month,) and obsessed over trying to make debt work for me.

What happened? Where did I go wrong? Did I give up? Maybe. Things don’t always go as you plan, and that was very true for me. Within a matter of months I was in a relationship with the girl I would soon marry. I was starting on a career path very different from what I had originally envisioned. I quickly abandoned thoughts of investing in real estate; it’s been two and a half years since I even bothered to research a property. My earning paradigm has changed vastly. I now earn my living in the world of online marketing.

When I was 18, I began coaching gymnastics, an activity that has brought me a lot of joy and fulfillment. Over two years ago I decided to say goodbye. As opportunities arose, I took advantage and taught classes sparingly, but was no longer heavily involved. It’s too bad, really, because teaching young people is an opportunity I truly enjoy and feel I am naturally gifted at. But at some point you have to give up some of the things you enjoy to focus on things that matter more, right?

Well, since I moved to Las Vegas, coaching has become a part of my life once again. It started off as a chance to teach a few classes a week at the gym around the block. Through a number of events it’s now become a six-day-a-week gig that makes up over half of my monthly income. The gym I teach at has almost 400 registered students, and I’ve interacted with nearly every single one of them. Many of them are talented, endearing, and full of joy! It’s been great to get back into a gym and back to helping shape the experience of young people.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been extremely attached to (and even dependent on) my friends. They were the family I chose for myself. They shaped my life in many, many ways and I’ve shared countless experiences with them. We’ve been through adventures large and small, but through it all they’ve been there for me when I needed them. I’ve been incredibly blessed with deep and meaningful friendships with exquisite people. I could never thank God enough for the people He’s sent into my life.

Then, six months ago, I chose to move away from most of the things and people I had grown up with in Utah and plant my flag in Las Vegas. At the time, I knew all of three people in the city. One of them is my grandma. The other two soon moved away. Interestingly enough, during the month of November alone I am going to be spending time with two friends whom I’ve never even met in person before. We’ve held communication for years on Facebook, Skype, or text, and I’m only now meeting them face to face. How’s that for a change in social life? And yet, that’s where I am in life.

I’m learning now to focus on what matters and what I can do when everything else is stripped away. Learning to rely on God and getting to know myself and who I’m meant to be. It’s a challenging and rewarding time, but more than anything it’s very “different.”

And I’m grateful for it.

What changes are you seeing in your life? What has come your way that you never anticipated? I’d love to hear.