Listen to the author narrate her story in this APTA podcast.

Throughout the educational process in school, teachers often encourage students to come up with five- and 10-year plans to help guide them on their professional path. I assume it’s meant to be a blueprint of their professional purpose that they can refer to if they start to feel they’re losing their way.

Like my classmates, I made a 10-year plan. Then I basically blew it to smithereens.

I switched out the bright lights of television news broadcasting, wearing suits and chasing down stories, and replaced my daily life with one less glamorous: providing physical therapy, wearing scrubs, and helping patients navigate recovery in the face of new disabilities. My massive career path change was born out of inspiration by my mom, who was a passionate massage therapist, and a reality that was much less inspiring: sleep deprivation.