Roads Taken Leslie Jennings Rowley, Dartmouth Class of 1996

When Doug Asano and his buddies were graduating, one friend's dad took a minute to stop them and point out what they needed to take with them when they left college. At the moment, Doug thought it both odd and potentially monumental. And in the ensuing years, he's come to realize the true wisdom that lived in the remark. Find out how keeping up connections and tapping in can make even the quietest of moments joyful.

A few times in Mario Barge's life, he thought he knew where a successful path would take him, but then he listened harder. It seemed that some of his experiences were trying to give him the perspective that stuff is just stuff and the outward trappings of success might not really be what we're after anyway. Find out how paying attention and being self aware can help us see that life is for really just for living.

When Mal Wrenn Corbin got to college, the bucolic, peaceful campus seemed not only like a haven but a world away from the turbulence of her life in post-industrial Worcester, Massachusettes. As she set out to find success in the professional world, there was always a feeling that perhaps she hadn't tucked that history far back enough and she would be found out as who she'd been. Once she decided to face the trauma in her past, she was able to recognize that her full story was worth telling. Find out how looking back and bridging the distance can sometimes show how far we've come.

When we last spoke with Michelle Villalobos, in our very first month of producing this podcast, she talked about how sometimes you need to quiet the noise and listen more carefully inside to figure out who you are and where you're going. Recently, that voice from inside woke her up to a new message she couldn't shake. In this Revisited, find out how letting nature take the lead can show us that everything has its season.

Last we spoke with Joey Hood, he was between assignments with the State Department, waiting for word on where he and his family would go next. It seemed everything from his language study to early career experiences were setting him up for the ultimate big league position. In this Roads Taken Revisited, find out how taking everything as it comes can sometimes lead you to where you’re meant to be.

When we last spoke with Keshav Puttaswamy, he told us about spending 20 years at Microsoft, finally making the break for a new venture in Australia and ultimately coming back home again. Hitting the 25 year mark with Microsoft and watching his own daughter set off on a new adventure, the time seemed to be right to make a leap again. In this Roads Taken Revisited, find out how being open and staying in the present can provide options for the future.