R and J in the USA

If you want to find out how Julie got into a lengthy conversation about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with a Dartmouth professor in the middle of the Vermont 5K race, head over to our 5K page. The long and the short of it is that seven runners got lost during the race, adding an extra two miles – one of which was all uphill – to their race course. Julie was one of them. While walking up said hill with the crowd of seven as they attempted to re-find the race course, Julie and one of the gentleman amongst the crowd got into an enthusiastic conversation. 

It started as most of these conversations do with the “where are you froms”. 

The first coincidence came out when Julie said, “Rochester, NY,” and the guy said, “Oh. That’s where my daughter lives.” He and Julie continued on talking about the geography and housing situation in Rochester, covering the University of Rochester and the 19th ward. 

When getting into the inevitable discussion that arises about why we are in whichever race we are running and we get a chance to share about the trip, it is always met with enthusiasm and sparks a fun direction for the conversation. At some point, when the topic of whether or not we were working on the road arose, Julie reported on how we had been planning this for years and had saved up the money to sponsor the trip and to get us through until we started earning again on the other side. The gentleman paused for a moment and then began in what seemed to be a bit of a reflective tone.

”I don’t know that I could ever do that. It sounds wonderful. Even if I had enough money in the bank. I’m so used to always having a paycheck coming in. That’s so amazing to me that you are able to do that.”

He continued on reflecting about why he felt that way and about his sense of marvel that Julie and Ryan were able to do this. Not practically, but mentally, without feeling anxious or stressed. Julie explained a big difference. Being a professor, his entire adult life had meant that he was working as part of a larger institution. All he had to do was do his job and he could be confident that a paycheck would come as a result.

Julie explained that, with the exception of her first year out of college where she had a job with a small but stable entry level salary, for her entire adult life, she had been a self-employed entrepreneur. There was not a single year in her adult life that she knew for certain the work she put in would result in a paycheck. She put in the work with the hopes it would, with the confidence it could, and with the diligence to do everything in her power to ensure it did. And even once her business was fairly stabilized and consistently providing her a steady living, it still was not guaranteed, and she would never know exactly what that month or that year would deliver. Any plans made would have an element of fingers crossed and needing to prepare for the possibility that it wouldn’t work out. Safety nets behind safety nets behind safety nets for the just in case moments were always made.

For Julie, this was actually the FIRST time in her adult life that she actually had a feeling of financial security for a period of time because her plans were being made based on money that was already earned and saved and sitting in the bank, not predictions of what seemed likely in the future based on performance of the past. Yes, there is uncertainty on the other side of the trip, but this is the exact same uncertainty that she had had every single other year of her adult life. “I’ll work and attempt to earn money by producing something I hope others find valuable. I’ll work smart and diligently and, hopefully, it’ll work out!” Any entrepreneur who speaks with any more certainty than that is suspect to Julie.

Julie and the gentleman pondered it together and determined that such a way of life required a certain temperament of person. They also determined this is something that, like anything, is a set of skills that one can develop over time, whether by choice or necessity, depending on their life circumstances. He rested at ease realizing that his life did not necessitate that he have nor need develop these particular skills.

Julie continued.

“What we are doing now looks like not working, but for an entrepreneur, making a living is constantly about making very clear budgets to strategically last through times when you may or may not have new money coming in. That’s just part of the game, and a part that I was used to and this was just another budget and earnings projection. Since Ryan came from a similar world as you, having always previously worked a job with a paycheck, it had been a bigger adjustment for him to make this leap and he had needed more time saving so we had more of a buffer than Julie would have needed alone to feel comfortable to dive in. And, even though technically we aren’t working right now, in the sense that we are not actively contributing products of economic value and receiving economic value in return, we are working in just the same way that any entrepreneur works at the beginning. Even though we are having fun adventures just for the sake of it, we are both working diligently on projects and studies that we hope to be investments in our future ability to earn money. When an entrepreneur starts a business, they invest resources, whether time, energy, or money into the venture knowing that it will take a certain amount of time before what they are investing in brings anything back. So, going through periods of creating and generating and not earning is pretty standard for an entrepreneur.”

It was a fun conversation and it seemed both learned about themselves and each other as they talked.

That’s when the conversation turned more to the gentleman’s job as a professor at Dartmouth. 

“Oh,” Julie exclaimed. “My husband’s friend and college roommate is a professor at Dartmouth! He’s actually sitting at our van waiting for us right now.”

And, another coincidence in the bank, it turns out these two professors knew each other!

“Oh,” he realized. “I owe him an email.”

Now Julie was delighted, if getting lost on this 5K meant that Julie and Ryan’s friend, Peter, was gonna finally get an email returned, well, Julie was going to feel pretty awesome about being the missing link in that chain. And that would be the universe working in mysterious ways for sure.

When Julie and Ryan met up with Peter afterwards, Julie couldn’t wait to tell Peter the story and that the email should finally get returned!

Peter was happy for the story, but also had a dose of reality to offer, “Well, it’s good to know he remembers he owes me an email. But, don’t get your hopes up, Julie. It’s been years.”

“Oh,” Julie responded, quickly realizing that she’ll likely have to just enjoy the conversation and the coincidences and leave the mysterious ways that life has of getting emails returned to hands other than her own. Despite this, while being lost, Julie still found plenty.