As I mention on my website, I want to write positive and inspiring stories or articles. Here is a little story about never stop believing. You could manifest what you wish for. It might not be right away, or probably the same way you expected. However, it will be close to what you wish for, if not better. Just be ready for that journey, and always keep a positive mind. The universe, God or whatever your spiritual beliefs are will guide you through. They also know when the time is right, and what is better for you. We just need to be patient, perseverant, and the most important is to never lose your faith even in the worst of times. Remember, there is always light at the end of a tunnel.
Chiriqui, Panama – Born Country
My story starts many years ago when I was a child. I was probably 6 or 7 years old at the time.
Although today I live in Canada, at the time, I was living in Chiriqui, Panama 🇵🇦. If you don’t know where it is, it is located right in the middle of the American Continent. We call it, the belly button of the American Continent 😄. That is where one of the wonders of the world is located, the Panama Canal. I will tell you in another vlog the history of the Panama Canal.
David, Chiriqui – Child Wish Made
In the meantime, let’s go back to my story. As a child, I used to watch lots of Disney Movies. The ones that had the old intro with the fairy introducing the castle. One day after I finished watching the Disney movie, I said to myself, one day I will be working in a Disney movie as an actress. That was my wish to dream as a kid.
Montreal, Canada – New Home
Time passed by, and we had to leave Panama. My family and I moved to Montreal, Canada, and I lived there for almost five years before moving to Vancouver.
<iframe style="border-radius:24px" src="https://embed.creator-spring.com/widget?slug=arenita-seasonal-shop&per=12&bg=ffffff&txtcolor=000000¤cy=&page=1" title="Arenita Creations Shop Merch store powered by Spring" width="320" height="420" data-reactroot=""></iframe>As you might know, in Montreal they speak French, so I did my high school in French. When we moved there, it was very French.
Nowadays, it is not so much as before, unless you are on the East Side of Montreal. On the East side of Montreal, French seems to be more prominent.
2nd Pic – The day of my High School Graduation
Montreal, Quebec – Canada
After I graduated from high school, my parents, my sister, and I moved to Vancouver, so Vancouver became our new home.
Vancouver My New Home
Vancouver is my new home now. When I moved to Vancouver, I had a bit of culture shock. The landscape and people’s culture are different from Montreal’s.
Vancouver’s population was also in its growing stages. The population was not as big as it is today, and I was used to living in a busy city, where stores were open late. In contrast to Vancouver, everything was closing around 5 or 6 pm during the weekend. This has changed over the years; Vancouver has become a multicultural city. Each year, its population is growing.
In terms of weather, Vancouver’s climate is nicer than Montreal’s. Although winter is a bit depressing for me, it has changed a bit over the years. Other than that, I love Vancouver, especially summertime. Summertime is my favorite season because the days are longer and sunny.
Douglas College – English & Theatre Program
Once I moved to Vancouver, I needed to learn English, so I went to Douglas College to learn English. I did speak a little bit of English, but it was not enough to have a fluent conversation. TOEFL books and the show Friends helped me to learn basic English, and prepare me for my English College Preparatory Program at Douglas College.
Once I completed my English Preparatory Program, I decided to study Film. Unfortunately, at the time, when I wanted to study Film, the movie industry in Vancouver was at the beginning stages. There were not many schools or colleges providing that program.
I tried to study at Vancouver Film School, but it was too expensive for me. I could not afford to pay the entire program even with a Student Loan. I decided to take a program at Douglas College that was a bit related to Film, but it was more of a Theatre program. The program that I studied was Stagecraft. This program is to become a Theatre technician where you learn construction, painting, props, a bit of costume, lighting, sound, stage management, etc.
My Journey to look for Work
After I finished the program, I started to look for work. Unfortunately for me, everywhere that I applied, they were asking for experience. My only experience was the two productions that I did on my program.
I decided to do volunteer work in theatre to get recommendation letters and make contacts.
I also went to the offices where you can look for work. In that Burnaby Office, is where I ended up finding out about the union that I belong to today, the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC).
While I was looking through their job information pamphlets, I stumble upon a DGC information pamphlet. I read their information, and it was what I wanted to do, movies. I started to investigate the DGC’s prerequisite, and I went to the DGC office to fill out my application.
It did not take long when I got called for my first job. I was so nervous and excited at the same time because this was new to me, and it was my first paid job. I worked before, but I was never paid for what I did.
A glimpse at a wish I made as a Child
On my first day working in the movie industry, I had a glimpse of my past. I realized that the wish that I made as a child became a reality. Although I was not working as an actress, I ended up working on a movie production behind the camera. I was one of the film technicians on set. I did not end up working on a Disney movie either at the time, but it was a film production.
Twenty years later after my first day at working in the Movie Industry, I ended up working in a Disney Production. However, this time I was not working on set, but in the office. My work in the office is more related to the management of Production.
Meant to Be
When I finished high school in Montreal, I applied to study at Simon Fraser University (SFU) located in British Columbia. I had all the prerequisites except for the language. Even though I studied in one of the provinces of Canada, I studied in French, and not in English. The university treated me like a foreigner because my high school studies were done in French and not in English.
I had to do a test called TOEFL, and I had to have the score that they asked for to be accepted. They could have just accepted me, and just give me one year of English preparatory. However, that was not the case. I did the test many times, and on the last test I did, I just had one point below the one they asked for, so I still was not accepted.
I could have been accepted in other universities with my results, unfortunately not at the university that I applied for. At that moment, I decided to take a different route, and that was to study English at Douglas College. I decided to take the English Preparatory Program there.
Although, I had a bit of a detour because of my high school studies in French. I’m happy in a way that things happened that way because I was going to study something that I really did not like. I thought that that was what I wanted to study, but I was wrong.
When I applied to SFU, what I wanted to study was psychology.
I’m glad that I was not accepted because I was going to study something that I was not really into it. By not being accepted, I was able to investigate more programs, and that is when I ended up finding the film program.
Not really knowing at the time, if Vancouver had a film industry or not. I did what I did blinded and went with my intuition. Also, I went with what I would love to do.
Since I was a little girl, I was always attracted to art. My wish and my love for arts led me to it.
You see, everything was meant to be. Even though I had a few closed doors, those closed doors led me to other open doors, and those open doors led me to what I really love to do. You see, sometimes we feel discouraged, but we don’t need to let those things get to us. We need to continue and persevere.
Life is Full of Surprises!!!
Don’t stop dreaming!! It can come true if you believe and feel it.
Even though I forgot my child’s wish when I was growing up, my made child’s wish was so strong that destiny led me to it. Destiny started to put all the puzzle together to get to it. So keep dreaming, and just go with the flow. Leave destiny, God or whatever your believes and your desires guide you to your path.
I can tell you, it is not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. Also, whatever experience you will have along your path, will make you a stronger person, and it will make you grow as a person.
Don’t let any negative experiences deter you from your dreams. You see, from any negative experience, there is always a positive experience from it, but it will depend on how you look at it.
Mine, they closed me the doors to get into the university, but I investigated other ways to get around to what I wanted to do.
Although what I studied was not exactly what I wanted to do, it led me at the end to what I wanted to do at the beginning. Life is full of surprises!!! 🙂
