Thalia Patrinos found that being a teacher just wasn't for her. She knew she loved writing, and after a chunk of time feeling frustrated and confused about what was next, she pursued a science writing degree and today works at NASA. Thalia's message as a career changer and creative writer is that rejection is an inevitable part of the process and not something to be discouraged by, and that a "sort-of-but-not-quite-right" role can turn out to be the right move. (It's also possible that her fire dancing hobby may have helped land that NASA gig, so you never know where your hobbies can lead.)