My What If Year: A Memoir
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-01-02 01:21:15
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alisha Fernandez Miranda
- ISBN：B0BCFY57ZL
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
An exuberant， hilarious memoir about a woman who pauses her successful career for a year and explores the "What If" jobs of her dreams。
On the cusp of turning forty， Alisha Fernandez Miranda has climbed to the peak of personal and professional success， but at a price; she's overworked and exhausted。
Bravely， Miranda decides to give herself a break， temporarily pausing her stressful career as the CEO of her own consulting firm。 With the tentative blessing of her husband and eight-year-old twins， she leaves her home in London to spend one year exploring the dream jobs of her youth， seeking answers to the question， "What If？"
What follows is a spirited and hilarious journey for Alisha - and the reader。 Contending with her lack of experience （and the onset of a global pandemic）， Alisha gofers for two high-profile Broadway productions （and nearly tramples Stephan Sondheim）， attempts to master a fitness regimen called Voga （a cross between yoga and "voguing"）， feigns confidence while handling multi-million-dollar artwork at Christie's， and literally sets her shirt on fire while serving rack of lamb in a posh hotel on Scotland's remote Isle of Skye。 Her experiences are at once challenging and humbling， and push the boundaries of what Alisha thought she was physically， mentally， and emotionally capable of。 Alisha's "What If" year reveals that she can achieve success on her own terms by embodying the spirit of the intern: never stop learning， be flexible， and understand that failure is a prerequisite for growth。
For anyone who's ever felt stuck in a rut， My What If Year proves that it's never too late to say yes to second chances and explore the roads untraveled throughout your life。
On the cusp of turning forty， Alisha Fernandez Miranda has climbed to the peak of personal and professional success， but at a price; she's overworked and exhausted。
Bravely， Miranda decides to give herself a break， temporarily pausing her stressful career as the CEO of her own consulting firm。 With the tentative blessing of her husband and eight-year-old twins， she leaves her home in London to spend one year exploring the dream jobs of her youth， seeking answers to the question， "What If？"
What follows is a spirited and hilarious journey for Alisha - and the reader。 Contending with her lack of experience （and the onset of a global pandemic）， Alisha gofers for two high-profile Broadway productions （and nearly tramples Stephan Sondheim）， attempts to master a fitness regimen called Voga （a cross between yoga and "voguing"）， feigns confidence while handling multi-million-dollar artwork at Christie's， and literally sets her shirt on fire while serving rack of lamb in a posh hotel on Scotland's remote Isle of Skye。 Her experiences are at once challenging and humbling， and push the boundaries of what Alisha thought she was physically， mentally， and emotionally capable of。 Alisha's "What If" year reveals that she can achieve success on her own terms by embodying the spirit of the intern: never stop learning， be flexible， and understand that failure is a prerequisite for growth。
For anyone who's ever felt stuck in a rut， My What If Year proves that it's never too late to say yes to second chances and explore the roads untraveled throughout your life。
Reviews
Kristen Jaiven
，
My What If Year was a lovely account of author Alisha Fernandez Miranda’s experience taking time away from her full-time job as a CEO to try new roles in new industries as an intern。 It is an encouraging read for all high achievers who sometimes wonder， what if？ Or what’s next？ Alisha’s internship project felt like a real life experience in life design - experimenting her way through new things to see what may or may not work for her life and understanding there is value in trying new things eve My What If Year was a lovely account of author Alisha Fernandez Miranda’s experience taking time away from her full-time job as a CEO to try new roles in new industries as an intern。 It is an encouraging read for all high achievers who sometimes wonder， what if？ Or what’s next？ Alisha’s internship project felt like a real life experience in life design - experimenting her way through new things to see what may or may not work for her life and understanding there is value in trying new things even if such experiments do not reveal a hidden talent or lead to a new passion。 Also， I am a Florida girl， so love the Florida references。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Melissa Boles
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I was able to read this book early thanks to an advanced PDF via Zibby Books。I loved this book。 Alisha's story is one so many can relate to （pandemic or not）， and I really appreciated her authenticity throughout the book。 I learned a lot about joy from Alisha's book， and it shifted how I think about joy in my own life！ I was able to read this book early thanks to an advanced PDF via Zibby Books。I loved this book。 Alisha's story is one so many can relate to （pandemic or not）， and I really appreciated her authenticity throughout the book。 I learned a lot about joy from Alisha's book， and it shifted how I think about joy in my own life！ 。。。more
Lisa
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Should you have done something different with your career？ Something more creative， artistic， or in a completely different industry？ What if you could try out those different careers now when you’ve already reached success？ That’s exactly what this author did。 I admired the bravery， the pursuit of joy， and the willingness to try new things。 I had a hard time getting through the book， but I’m so glad I finally finished。 The end of the story highlighted the insight after her year of discovery that Should you have done something different with your career？ Something more creative， artistic， or in a completely different industry？ What if you could try out those different careers now when you’ve already reached success？ That’s exactly what this author did。 I admired the bravery， the pursuit of joy， and the willingness to try new things。 I had a hard time getting through the book， but I’m so glad I finally finished。 The end of the story highlighted the insight after her year of discovery that I kept waiting to hear as I read the pages。 If you’ve ever wondered What If。。this book is for you。 。。。more
Susan
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A moving story of a woman who wants to work in fields she didn't have time for as a newlywed and later as a mother of young children。 When she and her family decide that they can hold things together while she serves in a number of different internships to fulfill her true interests--and not just to pay the bills--a global pandemic breaks out。 My What If Year is a tantalizing story of chasing our dreams all while making sure our families are all right back home。 A moving story of a woman who wants to work in fields she didn't have time for as a newlywed and later as a mother of young children。 When she and her family decide that they can hold things together while she serves in a number of different internships to fulfill her true interests--and not just to pay the bills--a global pandemic breaks out。 My What If Year is a tantalizing story of chasing our dreams all while making sure our families are all right back home。 。。。more
Sabrina Pfeiffer
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Such a well written， funny， relatable read！ I felt like I was having a drink with a girlfriend while chatting about the shared experience that is personal identity， career， and motherhood。 I’m ready to model a what if year of my own after reading this book。 Anyone in the book publishing industry need an adult intern？
Jean Stehle
，
What happens when you follow the rules but the results don't yield as promised？My What If Year: A Memoir， a memoir by Alisha Fernandez Miranda explores our cultural idea of success by choosing to starting over in her 40s and intern at a variety of her dream jobs。 Fernandez Miranda explores the ideas of success， happiness and manifesting one's destiny by asking herself a simple， yet complicated question: "What if？" What if she unlocks a new way of envisioning what she wanted to do with her life？ What happens when you follow the rules but the results don't yield as promised？My What If Year: A Memoir， a memoir by Alisha Fernandez Miranda explores our cultural idea of success by choosing to starting over in her 40s and intern at a variety of her dream jobs。 Fernandez Miranda explores the ideas of success， happiness and manifesting one's destiny by asking herself a simple， yet complicated question: "What if？" What if she unlocks a new way of envisioning what she wanted to do with her life？ What if she sheds her safe， reliable yet unfulfilling career and tries out new professional paths？ What if this journey leads to a job she never envisioned having？ What if it doesn't and she ends up feeling more lost than when she started？ What if？The concept of this book， a woman hits the pause button on her very successful career to spend the year interning at a variety of jobs， could be a put off to a reader。 After all， how many people have the means to do that？ I appreciated that Fernandez Miranda both acknowledged her privilege head-on and reflected on its roots in relationship to the American Dream。 In Fernandez Miranda's case， her grandparents were immigrants and worked tirelessly to give their children a better life。 In turn， Fernandez Miranda's parents did the same。 As a third generation U。S。 citizen， Fernandez Miranda applied the fierce work ethic she learned from her family to build a remarkable career。 Yet it wasn't a career that brought her satisfaction。I loved the opportunity to live vicariously through Fernandez Miranda as she dove into a variety of internships that required skill sets she either hadn't utilized in decades， or skill sets she needed to learn on the fly。 I couldn't help but imagine seeing myself in her various internships and wonder， how I would fare in her shoes？MY WHAT IF YEAR is far from a straightforward account of one woman trying out new professions to see which is the best fit。 It's a candid， unflinching and downright hilarious story of a woman who has the personal awareness to ask "What if there's more？" and the courage to attempt to answer her own question。While I wouldn't dream of giving away the ending， I do hope Fernandez Miranda continues to document her life experiences。 The last thought that came to mind before I finished the book was: "What if she writes a sequel？" I hope so！ 。。。more
Anjanette
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Alisha Fernandez Miranda's clear and conversational prose immediately pulled me in on her audacious journey - reliving some of the missed opportunities of her early career years。Many women （especially mums） will likely identify with her dive into the fanciful "What if？" imagining， but I was so impressed with her willingness and motivation to actively *do* something about it。 Too often we see ourselves stuck in rumination and regret， feeling as if the lock has clicked in on our long-held passions Alisha Fernandez Miranda's clear and conversational prose immediately pulled me in on her audacious journey - reliving some of the missed opportunities of her early career years。Many women （especially mums） will likely identify with her dive into the fanciful "What if？" imagining， but I was so impressed with her willingness and motivation to actively *do* something about it。 Too often we see ourselves stuck in rumination and regret， feeling as if the lock has clicked in on our long-held passionsnot followed as part of a standard sliding doors trope。 Alisha beautifully shows us how to shift that energy and give something new a go！At once self-effacing and tenacious， I loved reading her vulnerable （and strongly relatable） stories of discomfort， near-missteps and keep-going-anyway energy in search of personal fulfillment。A perfect read for anyone who has wondered if they missed their moment and wants confirmation that they *can* still experience variety and deep satisfaction chasing dreams they'd thought had long since passed them by！ 。。。more
Michelle Glogovac
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Alisha goes on the adventure and seeks answers to questions I think we all feel and have…especially after becoming mothers and hitting that 40 mark。 I love her candidness， humor and lessons learned along the way。 I felt like I was with her the entire journey and was very excited to discover the decisions she made at the end！ We all deserve a What If year！
Bonnie Goldberg
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Haven’t we all dreamed of our What If year？ Alisha Fernandez Miranda had the courage to take that leap。 But of course what seemed like a good - or at least passable - idea in 2019， became something entirely different during the pandemic that began in 2020。 If we learned anything during these last strange years， it’s that we can plan and plan but life will still surprise。 This memoir offers lessons in resilience and perseverance， overlayed with wisdom and humour。 The author identifies both the pe Haven’t we all dreamed of our What If year？ Alisha Fernandez Miranda had the courage to take that leap。 But of course what seemed like a good - or at least passable - idea in 2019， became something entirely different during the pandemic that began in 2020。 If we learned anything during these last strange years， it’s that we can plan and plan but life will still surprise。 This memoir offers lessons in resilience and perseverance， overlayed with wisdom and humour。 The author identifies both the peril and privilege inherent in making such a leap - in her case becoming an unpaid intern in several long held dream jobs - and it was a pleasure to be along for the ride。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and Zibby Books for the recommendation 。。。more
Rhonda Lomazow
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A wonderful read Alisha Fernandez Miranda decides to change her life as a CEO of a company as a wife and mother living in the uk and heads back to the Us to take the roads not traveled。Following her through internships testing the waters of a life she could of lived。She is outgoing hilarious a pleasure to get to know。A book that will give each of us a lot to think about the road we could of taken。Can’t wait to discuss with my friends。#netgalley #mywhatifyear。
Liane
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Who hasn’t wondered， “What if？” about all the roads in life not taken？ Alisha Fernandez Miranda decided to find out， and My What-If Year is the delightful result。 Warm， irreverent and funny， she reminds us to stay flexible， never stop learning， and pursue our passions。 Thank you， NetGalley， for a complimentary advance copy。
Liane
，
Who hasn’t wondered， “What if？” about all the roads in life not taken？ Alisha Fernandez Miranda decided to find out， and My What-If Year is the delightful result。 Warm， irreverent and funny， she reminds us to stay flexible， never stop learning， and pursue our passions。 Thank you， NetGalley， for a complimentary advance copy。
Kelly Pramberger
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I couldn’t wait to read Miranda’s story and I thank NetGalley and Zibby Books for the advanced copy for the purpose of this review。Miranda is able to leave her husband and twins in London and go to NYC and become a Broadway intern as a grown woman！ What a dream。 It was so interesting to read her descriptions of the jobs she got a chance to do and the experiences she had during her what if year。 I found myself inspired to keep chasing my own dreams！
Kara Marie
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My What If Year is about a busy working mother approaching 40 that feels she needs a change in her professional life， and decides to follow four different career paths through a series of internships。 Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a gifted story teller and through each very different internship I felt myself invested in her experiences， and laughing at her ability to not take herself too seriously。 Although each aspect of her career exploration differs greatly from my own life experiences， I found My What If Year is about a busy working mother approaching 40 that feels she needs a change in her professional life， and decides to follow four different career paths through a series of internships。 Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a gifted story teller and through each very different internship I felt myself invested in her experiences， and laughing at her ability to not take herself too seriously。 Although each aspect of her career exploration differs greatly from my own life experiences， I found this book to be relatable for the dreamer in all of us that may find the courage to take a chance， leaving a comfortable but not joyful career and explore what new possibilities could lie ahead。 I would highly recommend this book to friends， but especially perhaps to a friend who is needing some encouragement to take a chance on trying a new path in life。 。。。more
Leane
，
I would have never considered myself a huge memoir lover， but I loved MY WHAT IF YEAR by Alisha Fernandez Miranda and her quest to be a 40 year old intern。 Miranda is at the height of personal and professional success， but she is burned out。 She decides to schedule in a break， with the blessing （somewhat） of her family， and explore all the dream careers of her youth。 My What If Year is entertaining， thought provoking， and deeply resonating。 I think we can all relate to the “what ifs” of life esp I would have never considered myself a huge memoir lover， but I loved MY WHAT IF YEAR by Alisha Fernandez Miranda and her quest to be a 40 year old intern。 Miranda is at the height of personal and professional success， but she is burned out。 She decides to schedule in a break， with the blessing （somewhat） of her family， and explore all the dream careers of her youth。 My What If Year is entertaining， thought provoking， and deeply resonating。 I think we can all relate to the “what ifs” of life especially as we get older and settled into the mundane。 Miranda sets herself apart by going backwards in life at the height of success to find her path forward。 When world shuts down， Miranda pivots， makes adjustments， and continues pushing forward with her plans。 It would have been so much easier to return to her life， but she digs in not wanting to squander the opportunities she has dreamed of。Miranda is a talented and engaging storyteller。 Her writing style is easy and intimate。 I admire the raw emotion and vulnerability exhibited throughout the memoir。 MWIY would make an incredible selection for a book club。 The memoir is full of content that will allow great discussion and， hopefully， a lot of inspiration to the readers。 I will definitely be putting it in the hands of my closest friends。 My main takeaway - we all must find time and space to pursue joy。 Remember your childhood passions。 Take up a new hobby。 Take yourself on art dates。 Join a choir。 Do yourself a favor and pre-order it。 My What If Year releases on February 7， 2023。 Thank you to @zibbybooks and @netgalley for the advance copy。 。。。more
Stephanie Affinito
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Reading this book felt like a long， thoughtful conversation with a good friend over a cup of coffee （or maybe， a glass of wine）， talking about what could have been…。and then actually deciding to go for it。 Even at 40。 Alisha shares a heartfelt， honest and hilarious account of her year-long experiment as an intern in multiple creative fields across the span of a year AND a pandemic。 Her writing voice was so strong that I truly felt like I was sitting next to her as she shared her interning advent Reading this book felt like a long， thoughtful conversation with a good friend over a cup of coffee （or maybe， a glass of wine）， talking about what could have been…。and then actually deciding to go for it。 Even at 40。 Alisha shares a heartfelt， honest and hilarious account of her year-long experiment as an intern in multiple creative fields across the span of a year AND a pandemic。 Her writing voice was so strong that I truly felt like I was sitting next to her as she shared her interning adventures and ultimately， convinced me to try my own。 In fact， that’s what I loved most about this book: the inspiration to view life as a long series of internships， giving ourselves permission to pivot， to pursue our passions and find ourselves again。 Every woman must read this book。 。。。more
Kristens。reading。nook
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4。5 starsThank you to Zibby Books for a complimentary ARC through NetGalley。I loved this unique memoir！ Alisha Fernandez Miranda was approaching 40 when she realized she needed a break from her career。 What if she pursued the career paths she turned down earlier in life？ Encouraged by friends to give it a try， and supported by her husband who would be bearing the brunt of parenting their twins， Alisha lined up some unpaid internships in fields she had been interested in during college。 What bega 4。5 starsThank you to Zibby Books for a complimentary ARC through NetGalley。I loved this unique memoir！ Alisha Fernandez Miranda was approaching 40 when she realized she needed a break from her career。 What if she pursued the career paths she turned down earlier in life？ Encouraged by friends to give it a try， and supported by her husband who would be bearing the brunt of parenting their twins， Alisha lined up some unpaid internships in fields she had been interested in during college。 What began as a desire for various monthly internships lasting a year， started in NYC at an off Broadway theatre company at the end of February 2020。 As you can imagine， the pandemic derailed much of the year， but Alisha was still able to pivot and make a few of the internships work。 This memoir is an exploration into seeking fulfillment and not just settling when mid-life is drawing near。 Alisha is brave and that bravery is infectious！ 。。。more
Lisa Manhart
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