Our family vacation was winding down. The sunsets over the ocean, the laughter at dinner, the shared moments on the beach — they were memories now, tucked away like souvenirs. Everyone felt lighter, refreshed. But as always, vacations don’t last forever. It was time to go back to real life.
We returned home, and life settled into its familiar rhythm. I resumed my night shifts — working remotely for a U.S.-based company from overseas — while D adjusted back to daily life. Everything seemed… normal.
But there was one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about.
D had been talking more and more about feeling unfulfilled — not unhappy, exactly, but disconnected from a sense of purpose. She wanted something meaningful to do with her days, something that gave her confidence and independence. I wanted to help.
I remembered seeing a post on Facebook calling for Spanish teachers. I reached out to the language center, asked about the position — what they expected, how much it paid, what kind of hours they were looking for. Once I had enough information, I told D I’d gotten her an interview with the owner.
She lit up. For the first time in a while, she looked excited — hopeful. Something to fill her time, yes, but also something to call her own.
We went to the language center together. At first glance, it didn’t look very professional — outdated materials, empty walls, quiet classrooms. When we met the owner, he was honest — almost too honest.
He admitted the center wasn’t doing well. He needed a Spanish teacher to take over his classes so he could focus on improving the business. He also said it would be a joint responsibility to fill the class — and offered a 50/50 revenue split. Then, unexpectedly, he turned to me and asked if I would be interested in becoming a partner to help rebuild the place.
I told him we’d think about it.
Back home, we talked. We weighed the risks. We considered the opportunity — not just for her, but for us. Finally, we decided to give the class a try first.
I encouraged D to create her own Facebook page to promote the course. I offered to invest a little money to boost the posts and link them to the center’s page to help generate interest. If we could build momentum, maybe we could expand later — together.
And it worked.
Within two weeks, we filled every seat in the center’s very first Spanish class. Seeing that turnout gave me hope — not just for the class, but for D. This could become something steady, something sustainable.
So, I took the next step and entered into the partnership. Not because I saw a huge financial opportunity — but because I saw something else: a chance for D to feel capable, confident, and connected again.
I did it because I wanted her to feel like she belonged.
BPD Chronicles 