From that point forward, I became the cautionary tale, the example of potential wasted. At family gatherings, relatives would ask about me in hush tones, and my parents would respond with vague statements about me finding my way.James, meanwhile, completed Harvard with honors, then Harvard Business School, before landing a prestigious position at a global consulting firm. He became increasingly uncomfortable around me, as if my failure might somehow be contagious.
The final straw came at my cousin’s wedding when I was 24. I overheard my mother telling my aunt Vivien that they were so worried about Allison, and at least we have James to make us proud. That night, I made the decision to leave Boston entirely.
I had been saving money from my startup job and had built connections in the tech industry. Silicon Valley was calling, and I needed to answer.
“You are running away,” my mother accused when I told them I was moving to San Francisco.
“I am running towards something,” I corrected her. “Something you cannot see.”
