How To Train Your Dragon changed the course of my life in a 2 hour period.
The movie came out in 2010 and got tons of good reviews, but I just never picked it up, until I saw it up for grabs at my local library. One late August night in 2014, I popped it into my DVD player and sat alone in my living room to watch it.
Every aspect of the film enthralled me. The wit and sarcasm of Hiccup, expertly portrayed by Jay Baruchel. The complete character development of every character involved. The emotions conveyed in the music score (cue Forbidden Friendship). The beauty of the flight sequence animation.
During that flight sequence, I had a thought pop into my head: I want to do this. I want to be a part of this. I want to create things like this.
I was 18 at the time and I’ve never seriously thought about a single career path before in my life. Although I was unsure of where I wanted to be in the coming year, I was basically done choosing my colleges by then, having most of them picked out for me by my parents (Ivy leagues and other big name colleges that would have their friends in awe). I had resigned myself into accepting the fact long ago that I might not ever figure it out and that I’ll attend Emory University to study who-knows-what, maybe education? When I tell people about this, they chide me, saying “Emory is a great school! How can you be so ungrateful to even consider it as a last choice?” Looking back, I think that is precisely why I was so nonchalant about looking for my actual dream – it is a fantastic school, one of the best, and I’d be able to attend at a discount since my mom was employed there, so everything would work out! I’d go there and by using their philosophy of “breath and depth” I’d eventually find something that I liked and the rest of my life would be solved!
I’m so glad I didn’t.
I watched the final scene of the movie come to a close and then the animated credits and then the full credits. I was wholeheartedly reading every single word and name that was associated with the film. As soon as the DVD had nothing more to offer and automatically returned to the menu screen, I ran upstairs to my computer and searched for the major I’d need to pursue to get a job as an animator. As a visual effects designer. As a storyboarder. Anything that would let me work in the business.
By this point in my life, I knew that I had some inkling of artistic talent, but it was cut short by my family, who was extremely concerned about my ability to make money. Like a lot of immigrant families, they wanted the best for me and “the best” happened to coincide perfectly with wealth in their eyes. They’ve shunned every nudge into the artistic career path, so I knew that if I really wanted this, I’d have to find a backdoor in.
I stumbled upon Georgia Tech’s Computer Science degree: with the right combination of concentrations, it advertised a possible job in animation. I jumped at the idea, knowing that my parents would love for me to have a job in technology. That night, I applied to Georgia Tech for early admission, whipping out essays like lightning. The next morning, I told my parents that my goal is to study computer science at Georgia Tech, and while I shocked them quite a little, they agreed quickly.
Fast forward to my college life, full of me struggling through programming assignments and trying to explain that “Yes, I am a CS major but I’d like to learn the art side of it.” Most of the people I met couldn’t understand why someone would possibly come to one of the best colleges for technology and would rather study something in the liberal arts. I’m proud to say that I never wavered, despite all of the criticisms and difficulties. This was my first dream of my life and I wasn’t willing to let it go for anything.
While my career path shifted slightly during college, I’m eternally grateful for the movie for opening my eyes to my true dream. My parents have slowly began to accept my job in design and it’s torn down a tremendous wall between us. My job as a creative is utterly insane but I can’t imagine myself doing anything else and loving it nearly as much.
This is so dramatic (be dramatic or be dead) but I owe my well-being to this franchise. It is the best singular moment of my high school career and I make it a point to watch it every couple of months. I’m thankful to have had this experience that’s pushed me out of my nonchalance to finally pursue what I love, and I genuinely hope that this happens for everyone at some point in their lives.
(This has been my favorite picture for years and it was my first wallpaper for my first laptop! I still don’t know who the artist is though, so if anyone knows, please tell me!)
stargirl blog 