I’ve been following Humans of New York for many years, and as time goes on, I am more and more moved by Brandon Stanton’s work. He has an incredible ability to candidly capture human expression and emotion, all while reminding us that each person has their own journey, filled with struggles and rewards.
I do admit, though, there is a pinch of jealousy inside me when I scroll through his Facebook page. That dude has my photojournalistic dream job! So, in Soul Cookie’s early inception, I thought I could integrate my own style of peer interviews into my posts.
It’s taken me a while to get that part of the blog off the ground, but I’m so excited to share my first Soul Chat with my dear friend and fellow blogger, Audrey Hirschl! They may not compare to Brandon’s incredibly HONY movement, but I truly can’t wait to see how this initiative evolves and unfolds.
Please enjoy her pearls of wisdom!
Name: Audrey Anne Hirschl • Age: 25 • Hometown: Scottsdale, Arizona • Profession: Project Manager/Blogger+Photographer
What was the biggest challenge you faced in this past year?
“I think realizing that I don’t have to have every piece of my life planned out when it comes to [my] career, relationships…I had the whole “turning 25” thing and, like, freaking out about what the future was going to be, especially with my career.
I had been trying to plan so many things out and it was giving me massive anxiety. I was doing things people thought I should be doing, not what I thought I should be doing. I just freaked out about where my life was going instead of going with the flow.”
How did you face that challenge? Was there a strategy?
“I just trusted my gut.
Every time I thought about to going to grad school it gave me massive anxiety. I felt like I couldn’t breath all the time, but I thought I should be going, so I just kept pushing on it… But nothing should make your stomach and lungs hurt that bad…
I just think I went with my gut and realized that [grad school] wasn’t for me and that I should keep waiting for something that did pique my interest in a way that made me feel really good.”
What is one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self?
“The people in your life are what make your life. It’s not where you live or what your job is…so just making sure to respect and love everyone and realizing that [no one] has the same struggle. We’re all just humans trying to get by.”
What is the best thing that happened to you in the past year?
“Probably getting into a relationship. I took a leap of faith deciding to do long distance. I have no idea when the long distance is going to end but I decided to go for it!
“Oh! And starting my blog was awesome! It was a really good creative outlet for me.”
What’s one thing in your routine you can’t imagine taking out?
“I journal a lot about what I am grateful for and what makes me happy and I think that’s really helpful…There are so many things we all complain about and it gets us nowhere.
When I go to bed I write down things I am grateful for and the best thing that happened that day. It reminds me that my life really is great and taking the time to be really thankful for what you have is so important.”