I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a pilot. In fact, for most of my life, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be at all.

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

It seemed that while all my friends had clear ambitions — doctor, engineer, lawyer, musician, whatever — all I had was questions. I felt lost, disinterested, and behind. Not because I wasn’t smart, but because I felt like school had nothing to offer me. I remember as early as 5th grade thinking, “This isn’t for me.” By 7th grade, I was sure I didn’t want to go to college, but I had no clue what I’d do instead.

I just knew one thing:

Whatever I did, it had to be big. And it had to be mine.

When I was a kid, my uncle became an airline pilot. I visited my family in India sometime around then, and I’ll never forget how much different his life looked than others. He took care of himself. Stayed healthy. Stayed busy, and seemed more successful than most people I knew in general. He carried himself with this quiet confidence that stuck with me. I didn’t necessarily see myself in aviation at the time — but I did see something I admired.

Looking back, he was probably the first person I really looked up to.

Failing Forward

In high school, I kept chasing something — I just didn’t know what. I explored entrepreneurship, building brands, how to make music with friends— all ideas that sounded good but never stuck. Not because they weren’t cool to me, but because I didn’t put the work in. I had vision, but no discipline.

Each time I quit something, it added to a growing sense that maybe I was just a quitter. Maybe I wasn’t made for anything big in the end.

Fuel for the Future

In my final year of high school, I was assigned a civics project that challenged me to simulate adult life — managing a job, finances, family, and other responsibilities. Up until then, I wasn’t known as a great student; I often skipped assignments due to a lack of work ethic and motivation. But this project captured my interest in a way others hadn’t. Still unsure about my future career, I randomly chose “airline pilot” as my path — a choice that would unexpectedly shape my journey.

The salary looked great. The lifestyle sounded interesting. The benefits that came with it were unmatched. And I thought, hey, my uncle’s a pilot — let’s see what that life would look like.

I planned the project, submitted it, and moved on.

The Dream

A few months later — November 2023 — I had a distinctly vivid dream.

I was flying in a cockpit, calm and focused, watching the clouds slide beneath me, and there was just plain silence for as long as it went on.

I woke up with this strange feeling. Not excitement, not confusion— something closer to clarity.

That same morning, I started researching aviation in depth—pilot lifestyle, salaries, training routes, career paths, time, and costs. I learned that becoming a commercial airline pilot didn’t require a college degree, just flight instruction, time, and consistent effort. For the first time, I saw a clear and structured path toward a real career with a solid end goal. That was enough to make me take it seriously.

Taking Off

I hesitated to tell my mom about the idea at first—I didn’t want it to seem like just another impulsive decision I’d end up quitting. But as always, she supported me without hesitation. Soon after, I booked a discovery flight and went up in the air for the first time.

It wasn’t fireworks, or a movie moment.

But it was something better — solid, grounded certainty.

I felt like I had found something I could actually build on. Something real. For the first time, I wasn’t just chasing a feeling — I was stepping into something I could commit to.

And this time, I wasn’t going to quit.