Meet Julia Shevchuk, Mathematical Economics Student at the University of Pennsylvania.
What’s your favorite thing about living or working in Philly?
My favorite thing about living, working (and studying) in Philly is how small it is. Every time I walk down Walnut Street on a sunny afternoon I see a familiar face, making the city feel even more like home.
How and where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in my travels. Putting myself in new situations allows me to shed a new light on, or put a new perspective, on my thoughts and ideas. If I can’t travel, I try to put myself in a new experience or form a new habit. John Dryden said “We first make our habits, then our habits make us.” Thus, by changing my habits or surroundings, I can change my state of mind and often find the clarity and inspiration I was looking for.
I find inspiration in my travels. Putting myself in new situations allows me to shed a new light on, or put a new perspective, on my thoughts and ideas.
In moments of self-doubt, how do you build yourself back up?
My self-doubt almost always comes from me comparing myself to others. Therefore, when I feel low, I find that the best thing to do is spend some time alone to rebuild the strength I know I have inside of me. If I find myself feeling really low, I seek out the support of friends and family who believe in me and who are there to remind me of my self-worth and what I am really capable of.
Where’s your favorite place to recharge or network in Philly? My favorite place to both recharge and network is in the Philly fitness community, especially at Soulcycle, because it has a way of bringing people together from across different age groups, industries, and walks of life in the same room. Imagine this, you’re riding a stationary bike in a dark room and on your right is a gay hairstylist in his fifties, on your left is a girl from your math class, behind you is a woman who just got out of a meeting with top finance execs in the city, and on her left is an upcoming rapper who walks dogs on the side. Yet, for 45 minutes we are all just sweaty bodies riding along listening to Nick Turk sing along to Ariana Grande. When else are so many different characters going to be in the same room? It’s beautiful and funny and I can’t really put into words how cool it is to be a part of.
What’s the best piece of career advice ever given to you? A wise woman once told me to never get too comfortable at your place of work, and to always be able to leave with one box of things. It was very straightforward and easy-to-implement career advice, and when I heard it I didn’t think too much of it. Not until I was living in Milan and forced to uproot from my home during a global pandemic and flee the country in the middle of the night due to a regional lockdown, did I realize that the career advice has real-life applications as well. I was overwhelmed and upset by the amount of things I had brought with me to Milan for only a few months, and I was not able to bring everything back with me, forcing me to leave many things behind. At that moment, I realized that I really didn't need half the things I had brought with me, and that I only did so to make my place in Milan feel more comfortable. It was then that I pledged to only ever travel with two suitcases, because you should never get too comfortable (outside of your home), and you should always be able to leave with only what you can carry.
Follow Julia's travel, food and life journal here.
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