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My What If Year: A Memoir
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.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2023
120 people are currently reading
10831 people want to read
About the author
Alisha Fernandez Miranda
3 books104 followersALISHA FERNANDEZ MIRANDA is the author of My What If Year. She serves as chair and former CEO of I.G. Advisors, an award-winning social impact intelligence agency that consults with the world’s biggest nonprofits, foundations, and corporations on their philanthropy and social initiatives. A graduate of Harvard University and the London School of Economics, her writing has been featured in Vogue, Business Insider, Romper, and Huffington Post. Originally from Miami, she currently lives in Scotland with her husband and children.
Follow Alisha on Instagram @alishafmiranda and her website at www.alishafmiranda.com.
Follow Alisha on Instagram @alishafmiranda and her website at www.alishafmiranda.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
March 1, 2023
I highly recommend this unique memoir by Alisha Fernandez Miranda, My What If Year: A Memoir! As she was about to turn forty, she and a few friends met in a bar and talked about their career dreams they had as young adults.
The conversation caused Alisha to create a What If Year. As the CEO of a social media consulting company and the mother of twin eight-year-olds, her incredible husband agreed to keep their business and their family functioning while Alisha explored different careers through unpaid internships.
Alisha left her home in London in February 2020 and flew to NYC for a 30 day unpaid internship with a Broadway production team. Theater and musicals had been a huge passion for Alisha while growing up. Then the COVID pandemic hit while she was in New York City and the theaters were shut down.
Alisha returned to London and she poignantly describes homeschooling her children in-between handling work conference calls and emails. She decided to explore an unpaid internship in the fitness industry since online fitness exploded during the pandemic. Part of her internship included taking online fitness classes from competitors. She was taking 10 - 12 fitness classes per week. A phrase that resonated with her during this time was "get off the hot mess express."
She also did unpaid internships in the art industry and in the hospitality industry.
The book opens with "Whatif" by Shel Silverstein:
Last night, while I lay thinking here.
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
And pranced and partied all night long
And sang their same old Whatif song
This book begs the question for every reader, "What are you going to do with the time you have left?"
Highly recommend!
The conversation caused Alisha to create a What If Year. As the CEO of a social media consulting company and the mother of twin eight-year-olds, her incredible husband agreed to keep their business and their family functioning while Alisha explored different careers through unpaid internships.
Alisha left her home in London in February 2020 and flew to NYC for a 30 day unpaid internship with a Broadway production team. Theater and musicals had been a huge passion for Alisha while growing up. Then the COVID pandemic hit while she was in New York City and the theaters were shut down.
Alisha returned to London and she poignantly describes homeschooling her children in-between handling work conference calls and emails. She decided to explore an unpaid internship in the fitness industry since online fitness exploded during the pandemic. Part of her internship included taking online fitness classes from competitors. She was taking 10 - 12 fitness classes per week. A phrase that resonated with her during this time was "get off the hot mess express."
She also did unpaid internships in the art industry and in the hospitality industry.
The book opens with "Whatif" by Shel Silverstein:
Last night, while I lay thinking here.
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
And pranced and partied all night long
And sang their same old Whatif song
This book begs the question for every reader, "What are you going to do with the time you have left?"
Highly recommend!
January 4, 2023
My final book of 2022 was MY WHAT IF YEAR and it made me consider my New Year's intentions in the best way. As a successful CEO with a loving family, Alisha Fernandez Miranda couldn’t shake the feeling something was missing. In her debut memoir, she revaluates her priorities and commits to starting at square one with various entry level internships in the middle of a pandemic. It turns out timing isn’t always everything it's cracked up to be.
What a bold move, Alisha! I loved that this hard-working mother and business owner was able to take a step back from her middle-aged life and reimagine what happiness could look like. Sometimes bravery looks like leaving behind everything you thought you wanted.
With humility and a healthy dose of self-deprecation, Alisha’s zest for lifelong learning jumped off the page. Her words will inspire others to expand their definition of success and pave the way for something new, fresh, and maybe a bit scary.
MY WHAT IF YEAR is the first book launched by Zibby Books, a woman-owned publishing company looking to publish books in an innovative way. I’m looking forward to reading more from Alisha and eagerly anticipate the monthly arrivals from Zibby Books.
PUB DATE: February 7, 2023
RATING: 4/5
Thank you NetGalley and Zibby Books for an ARC and wonderful book mail in exchange for an honest review.
What a bold move, Alisha! I loved that this hard-working mother and business owner was able to take a step back from her middle-aged life and reimagine what happiness could look like. Sometimes bravery looks like leaving behind everything you thought you wanted.
With humility and a healthy dose of self-deprecation, Alisha’s zest for lifelong learning jumped off the page. Her words will inspire others to expand their definition of success and pave the way for something new, fresh, and maybe a bit scary.
MY WHAT IF YEAR is the first book launched by Zibby Books, a woman-owned publishing company looking to publish books in an innovative way. I’m looking forward to reading more from Alisha and eagerly anticipate the monthly arrivals from Zibby Books.
PUB DATE: February 7, 2023
RATING: 4/5
Thank you NetGalley and Zibby Books for an ARC and wonderful book mail in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2023
This was an interesting concept but it comes from a very privileged perspective. The author had the ability to jump into these internships without worrying about maintaining an income just to see what it would have been like to have taken a different path in life. Not everyone is able to do that. It does raise an interesting question that we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives and she actually did the experimentation to find the answer. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*
June 21, 2023
The premise was good-that is what hooked me. The rest was utterly disappointing. Unless you're under 35 and can stand hearing an overprivileged person exclaiming, whining and yapping about her foray into pretend internships that she got all thru nepotism, stay away from this book! This one is a total waste of time. The writing is awful, the stories are tired, the jokes are cringy, and her narration (on audio) is unbearable but accurate. I would have bailed earlier if it was not for a woman's bookclub I was reading this for. I can't wait to hear what the others think. Read the title, ponder yourself, and leave it at that.
January 14, 2023
Review for Net Galley of My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda
What an inspirational memoir Alisha Fernandez Miranda has written. Despite a successful track record as CEO of her own company, Alisha in her early 40s, yearns to actualize her professional dreams. With the full support of her husband we watch her becoming an intern at a Broadway play production company, then at a creative exercise company, then working for a renowned art dealer, and finally, in the hospitality world at an inviting Scottish hotel. What Alisha learns during her journey is invaluable. Now she is not afraid to make mistakes or fail. Now she recognizes the value of lifelong friendships, especially with other women. Now she realizes that being a control freak is unsustainable. Alisha never minimizes how hard it is to change her life but following her passion in this what if year brings her moments of unexpected joy and happiness. These are only some life lessons that may have eluded her had she not risked taking an experimental year.
Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a super talented writer. As a reader I felt like I was right there with her, inside the four different worlds she experienced. New York’s theatre world was the most compelling. After many fascinating rehearsals for Assassins, I too was disappointed when the Sondheim play was put on an 18 month hold because of the pandemic.
Alisha is witty and insightful. There are some laugh out loud moments, especially when she’s delving into the snooty London art scene.
I’ve always been a big fan of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet in which Rilke urges the poet to always be “a beginner.” Alisha’s year of four internships would have made him proud.
Carol Orange, award winning author of A Discerning Eye.
What an inspirational memoir Alisha Fernandez Miranda has written. Despite a successful track record as CEO of her own company, Alisha in her early 40s, yearns to actualize her professional dreams. With the full support of her husband we watch her becoming an intern at a Broadway play production company, then at a creative exercise company, then working for a renowned art dealer, and finally, in the hospitality world at an inviting Scottish hotel. What Alisha learns during her journey is invaluable. Now she is not afraid to make mistakes or fail. Now she recognizes the value of lifelong friendships, especially with other women. Now she realizes that being a control freak is unsustainable. Alisha never minimizes how hard it is to change her life but following her passion in this what if year brings her moments of unexpected joy and happiness. These are only some life lessons that may have eluded her had she not risked taking an experimental year.
Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a super talented writer. As a reader I felt like I was right there with her, inside the four different worlds she experienced. New York’s theatre world was the most compelling. After many fascinating rehearsals for Assassins, I too was disappointed when the Sondheim play was put on an 18 month hold because of the pandemic.
Alisha is witty and insightful. There are some laugh out loud moments, especially when she’s delving into the snooty London art scene.
I’ve always been a big fan of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet in which Rilke urges the poet to always be “a beginner.” Alisha’s year of four internships would have made him proud.
Carol Orange, award winning author of A Discerning Eye.
March 25, 2023
This is the first book to receive 1 star from me. I am usually generous with my stars because I choose books to read that I anticipate liking. This book… oh man! This book and the auntie’s experience is all that is wrong with society today. She had it all and she was not happy. So of course, why not take a year off and do frivolous things while your kids miss you and your husband is left to be a single parent? Who ever thought this would be a good story to publish? No, no, no. I kept reading thinking she will come to her senses, but no. She never did. I especially despise her lockdown and pandemic experience. While I was keeping a school of children and parents together, and figuring out how to support teachers, she was… what exactly! Experimenting? No! I hope this is a fluke… and that people don’t really think this was a good idea and a good book to read.
December 6, 2022
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.
June 2, 2023
I was excited to read this one, and it disappointed on many levels. I found it elitist, ridiculous, and not at all relatable. This is a privileged woman writing from an extremely privileged point of view with no real epiphany or change in her life. The types of work she did while on her vacation from being a CEO and parent was the type of work most of us did in our teens and 20’s, and many do throughout their whole life. She just got to taste what it’s like for most people. Yes - she got to intern on broadway and at Sotheby’s- but she quite literally spent the time filling water bottles and sucking up to people. Her experience working at the resort just down the road from her Scottish vacation home was the equivalent of being a typical resort staff. These experiences did not result in a more humble, kind, or evolved person. The whole book feels like a big clap on the back for herself.
January 31, 2023
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.
April 20, 2023
I have never published a book. I feel awful giving someone who has, one star.
The miss for me was the blatant tone deaf view of the pandemic. Considering the fact that she was interning in NYC and had to return home to London. While I’m sure it was disappointing your year of you was disrupted - I am not saying the internships shouldn’t have happened. This could be very triggering in regards to covid towards people who lost someone, were on the front lines, and those who were forced to be by themselves for an unforeseeable amount of time.
The miss for me was the blatant tone deaf view of the pandemic. Considering the fact that she was interning in NYC and had to return home to London. While I’m sure it was disappointing your year of you was disrupted - I am not saying the internships shouldn’t have happened. This could be very triggering in regards to covid towards people who lost someone, were on the front lines, and those who were forced to be by themselves for an unforeseeable amount of time.
February 22, 2023
I was really looking forward to reading this book - the premise sounded promising - but it fell flat for me and screamed of privilege (which the other does mention later in the book). It was probably just too soon for me - a mother, who worked my butt off during the lockdown phase of the pandemic to keep my job and keep my kids alive - to read a book about frivolous longings during a global pandemic.
December 2, 2022
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.
March 20, 2023
Full RTC-
For now, let me say this: an absolute gem of a memoir. Interesting. So fun. Aside from being a wonderful book, I always love supporting women who write, as well as women's publishing houses (Zibby Owens runs a heck of a fantastic publishing house).
This is the perfect book if you're looking for something really refreshing and uplifting. Alisha put together a lovely piece of work!!
For now, let me say this: an absolute gem of a memoir. Interesting. So fun. Aside from being a wonderful book, I always love supporting women who write, as well as women's publishing houses (Zibby Owens runs a heck of a fantastic publishing house).
This is the perfect book if you're looking for something really refreshing and uplifting. Alisha put together a lovely piece of work!!
March 31, 2023
I was hoping to learn something from this book and it just felt so surface level. The background of the author is stellar so I think her voice just didn’t translate to a good book. The book felt like what I would write which is why I haven’t written anything. The tone just felt too privileged to me- which she does admit- but not sure of the so what of the book.
May 1, 2025
Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a Cuban-American woman from a wealthy background with a lot of disposable income who, at the cusp of 40 in early 2020, decided to take an extended sabbatical from her job to casually dabble in other careers via unpaid internships while her husband supported the family financially and cared for their two kids. Then COVID happened.
This book felt largely like a vanity project to me, where Fernandez Miranda was simultaneously self-deprecating and humble-bragging throughout. I always admire people who have the motivation and persistence to leave their comfort zone, take on new challenges, and work hard to learn new skills -- but unfortunately I found this author's efforts to largely lacking in these areas. Her internships involved doing social media posting, getting coffee, filing paperwork, and other light work (all skills she already had) at Broadway theaters, an art gallery, a resort, and an online fitness business for what sounded like a few hours here and there (certainly not full-time job hours), then ambling over to the next location after a few weeks -- there weren't really any new, hard skills learned. I'd contrast this with Bianca Bosker in Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See (see my review here, who dove head-first into the art gallery scene with unpaid internships but exerted much more effort and time into the process and came away with a lot of new knowledge. The whole effort reminded me of Youtuber Michelle Khare and her schtick of dabbling in various jobs for a month or so, then making a monetized video about it.
My statistics:
Book 135 for 2025
Book 2061 cumulatively
This book felt largely like a vanity project to me, where Fernandez Miranda was simultaneously self-deprecating and humble-bragging throughout. I always admire people who have the motivation and persistence to leave their comfort zone, take on new challenges, and work hard to learn new skills -- but unfortunately I found this author's efforts to largely lacking in these areas. Her internships involved doing social media posting, getting coffee, filing paperwork, and other light work (all skills she already had) at Broadway theaters, an art gallery, a resort, and an online fitness business for what sounded like a few hours here and there (certainly not full-time job hours), then ambling over to the next location after a few weeks -- there weren't really any new, hard skills learned. I'd contrast this with Bianca Bosker in Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See (see my review here, who dove head-first into the art gallery scene with unpaid internships but exerted much more effort and time into the process and came away with a lot of new knowledge. The whole effort reminded me of Youtuber Michelle Khare and her schtick of dabbling in various jobs for a month or so, then making a monetized video about it.
My statistics:
Book 135 for 2025
Book 2061 cumulatively
May 6, 2024
While my path ahead was still dark, at least I was on the road now, headed in the right direction.
This book is both inspiring and funny. I could relate to Alisha in so many ways. I'm also a Latina and I picked up this book because I'm sort of living my own What If Year. 2024 is full of changes, big and scary. And this book came at the perfect time.
The author showed us how trying new things, even those we are not good at, can be the key to finding where we need to go next. Stepping down in order to rise up and find the joy we've been longing for.
In a beautifully written way, with occasional jokes, Alisha helped us understand that most of the times we are the ones stopping ourselves from changing our lives and getting where we really want to be. Those big changes we crave for, we can make it happen, but only when we stop derailing ourselves. We need to take the leap and embrace it.
It's not to late to try something new. It's not too late to be the person we are meant to be.
This book is both inspiring and funny. I could relate to Alisha in so many ways. I'm also a Latina and I picked up this book because I'm sort of living my own What If Year. 2024 is full of changes, big and scary. And this book came at the perfect time.
The author showed us how trying new things, even those we are not good at, can be the key to finding where we need to go next. Stepping down in order to rise up and find the joy we've been longing for.
In a beautifully written way, with occasional jokes, Alisha helped us understand that most of the times we are the ones stopping ourselves from changing our lives and getting where we really want to be. Those big changes we crave for, we can make it happen, but only when we stop derailing ourselves. We need to take the leap and embrace it.
It's not to late to try something new. It's not too late to be the person we are meant to be.
February 9, 2023
Although memoirs aren’t the books I reach for on my shelves I really did enjoy this one.
Miranda opens up her life to readers and allows us to journey right alongside her. Her writing style was both friendly and inviting making it an enjoyable reading experience.
Thank you Zibby Books for the complimentary copy on Netgalley!
Miranda opens up her life to readers and allows us to journey right alongside her. Her writing style was both friendly and inviting making it an enjoyable reading experience.
Thank you Zibby Books for the complimentary copy on Netgalley!
Read
April 17, 2025did not finish. i enjoy the author and her writing, but the second the pandemic was brought up i lost interest and it was hard to get back into.
February 20, 2023
A fun and entertaining read! It’s amazing that she got to take a break from her job and family to do this! What a wonderful experience!
December 17, 2023
Not impressed. She sounded like a whiny, over privileged, rich person who got to quit her job because she got bored going to work. Waa waa. She then was able to work for free. Must be nice.
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January 30, 2023
What happens when your life looks perfect from the outside but on the inside you’re not quite sure what you’re doing anymore? Well, Alisha found herself in that very spot and through her memoir, My What If Year, she takes the reader on her journey of finding happiness and fulfillment.
There are a lot of funny moments in My What If Year mixed with a healthy dose of self-depreciation. As a mom of twins and a CEO of a company she helped found, Alisha decides it’s time to try something new through the power of the unpaid internship. From Broadway moments before it goes dark, to the pandemic shifted fitness world, the art world she isn’t sure she’ll get into and hotel hospitality, Alisha experiences a lot of ups and downs. One thing she is sure of though, she’s ready for a change.
This is a book that made me think and while Alisha comes from the privilege (which she acknowledges a lot) to take this leap of faith, it still felt relevant. Also, I agree with Alisha completely…JC IS the best member of *N Sync!
Thank you to Zibby Books for providing me with this ARC to review. Zibby Books is a woman owned publisher focusing on publishing one book a month so authors get their full attention and readers have a year long set of books curated and ready for enjoyment!
There are a lot of funny moments in My What If Year mixed with a healthy dose of self-depreciation. As a mom of twins and a CEO of a company she helped found, Alisha decides it’s time to try something new through the power of the unpaid internship. From Broadway moments before it goes dark, to the pandemic shifted fitness world, the art world she isn’t sure she’ll get into and hotel hospitality, Alisha experiences a lot of ups and downs. One thing she is sure of though, she’s ready for a change.
This is a book that made me think and while Alisha comes from the privilege (which she acknowledges a lot) to take this leap of faith, it still felt relevant. Also, I agree with Alisha completely…JC IS the best member of *N Sync!
Thank you to Zibby Books for providing me with this ARC to review. Zibby Books is a woman owned publisher focusing on publishing one book a month so authors get their full attention and readers have a year long set of books curated and ready for enjoyment!
February 14, 2023
My What If Year is a memoir by Alisha, an almost 40 yr old married woman with twins who is burnt out. She is at the top of her career and after many years of hustling, she needs a break. She decides to spend a year exploring what it would be like if her life followed different paths. Alisha has an incredible background, working hard and getting into Harvard.
This was an interesting read that made me think of what I would have done differently if I got a do over. I’m not sure I would change much, but it’s definitely a dare to dream situation!
Thank you so much to Zibby Books and Alisha for my gifted copy and wonderful promo package!
This was an interesting read that made me think of what I would have done differently if I got a do over. I’m not sure I would change much, but it’s definitely a dare to dream situation!
Thank you so much to Zibby Books and Alisha for my gifted copy and wonderful promo package!
March 4, 2023
Nearing 40, Alisha pauses her successful career as a CEO and business owner to intern at four of her dream jobs.
Reading Alisha’s memoir felt as though I was listening to a good friend recount her adventures, while inspiring me to pursue my own. Her book makes you ask that wonderful question, ‘What if?’
What if you change the course you started, quit your job, find your joy, and rediscover who you really are?
Her book reminds you that regardless of age, there’s never a better time to chase your dreams and try on those shoes than now. 👠💜 Thank you for the inspiration, Alisha!
November 25, 2022
I really enjoyed reading My What If Year by Alisha Fernandez Miranda, thanks to an early copy from Net Galley. This book covered the author's year during which she, at the age of 40, participated in several internships, each of which were in industries she had always wanted to investigate. Not many people get a chance for a "do-over" but that's exactly what the author has. The author's delightful style makes for an easy and enjoyable read and she makes you feel as if you have come along for the ride. The book is well-written, funny and heart-warming.
February 7, 2023
By most accounts, in 2019, Alisha Fernandez Miranda was living the dream. Raised in Miami as the daughter of Cuban immigrants, she'd studied hard and gotten into Harvard. Although she majored in Women's Studies, a field her father considered indulgent, she achieved her dream of settling in the UK, married a loving and supportive man, became the mother of longed-for twins, and the CEO of a consulting company which advised clients on how to invest ethically and responsibly. On her Instagram feed, she can be seen socializing with the likes of King (then-Prince) Charles. And yet, she had some niggling doubts about the career path she'd chosen.
With her husband on board, she decided to try out some different jobs via unpaid internships to see what she might have missed, and try to determine in which direction to point her life after forty. Having acquired an impressive list of acquaintances (i.e. Bill Gates and King Charles mentioned above), she inquired of her connections and set up four internships in vastly different fields -- Broadway theater, fitness, art, and upscale hospitality.
In early 2020, she set out for New York for part one of her adventure, leaving her kids and husband behind (with his blessing). Miranda writes humorously about trying to make herself useful behind the scenes of two Broadway shows and of running into (literally!) the legendary Stephen Sondheim. But then we all know what happened next. An insidious virus started spreading, and Miranda's first internship was cut short.
I admired her persistence in soldiering on. Instead of giving up on her project, she managed to intern remotely for a fitness instructor who'd shifted to online classes, while sharing homeschooling duties with her husband. While a lot of readers would probably prefer to forget about that bleak period, or would rather not be reminded of it just yet, I think that in years to come this book will serve as a valuable account of what it was like to live through a pandemic. I, personally, was in Japan and my kids had already graduated from high school. Reading this book left me in awe of everyone who had to try to teach their own kids long-division.
Miranda's third internship took her into the art world. Again, it was intriguing to read how things work behind the scenes between art dealers and their billionaire clients. Her final stint, at a fancy hotel in Scotland, reminded me a bit of my days serving in restaurants, something I would rather not do again. However, I have a new respect for servers who manage to carry carefully arranged edible works of art to the table without disturbing their composition. Apparently, it's not as easy as one would think!
Not everyone would be able to up and leave their families to pursue their bliss, especially during a global pandemic, and Miranda reminds the reader that she is well aware of her privilege. However, I think it's safe to say that the author has proven that one's life is not necessarily set in stone by the age of forty. It is possible to pivot, to pursue new interests, and abandon old goals. To ask "What if..."
Highly enjoyable.
With her husband on board, she decided to try out some different jobs via unpaid internships to see what she might have missed, and try to determine in which direction to point her life after forty. Having acquired an impressive list of acquaintances (i.e. Bill Gates and King Charles mentioned above), she inquired of her connections and set up four internships in vastly different fields -- Broadway theater, fitness, art, and upscale hospitality.
In early 2020, she set out for New York for part one of her adventure, leaving her kids and husband behind (with his blessing). Miranda writes humorously about trying to make herself useful behind the scenes of two Broadway shows and of running into (literally!) the legendary Stephen Sondheim. But then we all know what happened next. An insidious virus started spreading, and Miranda's first internship was cut short.
I admired her persistence in soldiering on. Instead of giving up on her project, she managed to intern remotely for a fitness instructor who'd shifted to online classes, while sharing homeschooling duties with her husband. While a lot of readers would probably prefer to forget about that bleak period, or would rather not be reminded of it just yet, I think that in years to come this book will serve as a valuable account of what it was like to live through a pandemic. I, personally, was in Japan and my kids had already graduated from high school. Reading this book left me in awe of everyone who had to try to teach their own kids long-division.
Miranda's third internship took her into the art world. Again, it was intriguing to read how things work behind the scenes between art dealers and their billionaire clients. Her final stint, at a fancy hotel in Scotland, reminded me a bit of my days serving in restaurants, something I would rather not do again. However, I have a new respect for servers who manage to carry carefully arranged edible works of art to the table without disturbing their composition. Apparently, it's not as easy as one would think!
Not everyone would be able to up and leave their families to pursue their bliss, especially during a global pandemic, and Miranda reminds the reader that she is well aware of her privilege. However, I think it's safe to say that the author has proven that one's life is not necessarily set in stone by the age of forty. It is possible to pivot, to pursue new interests, and abandon old goals. To ask "What if..."
Highly enjoyable.
February 7, 2023
I am so so exited that MY WHAT IF YEAR is finally out in the world! In MY WHAT IF YEAR, Alisha takes us on her journey of rediscovering her passions. After feeling unhappy in her current position as CEO, Alisha takes some time off to explore four different internships of her dreams. Through her adventures in fitness, theater, art, and cooking, Alisha reminds us the importance of finding your passion, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, and not being scared to fail. I loved this memoir, and I’m so happy for Alisha!!!
MY WHAT IF YEAR is out in all formats, hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and ebook!! Please please pick this one up, you won’t regret it!!
MY WHAT IF YEAR is out in all formats, hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and ebook!! Please please pick this one up, you won’t regret it!!
February 7, 2023
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
November 11, 2023
As someone who has hit the point, “what do I really want to be when I grow up?” well after graduating college and working in an established career, this book really resonated with me. We have collectively fallen into a place where, once we hit a certain age, we stop dreaming and stop building the life we want and instead, live the life we have, too afraid to give anything we’ve worked hard for up. This book is a permission slip not just to dream, but to take action toward living the life you want. Every woman/mom in mid-life should read this, then make a “what-if” list.
January 17, 2023
I love a good memoir! Alisha made me think about what might have been as I lived vicariously through her internships. Funny and real. Who doesn’t want to escape for a while and try your hand at Broadway?! Thx to Netgalley & Zibby Books for the book for review consideration. Look for this book Feb 7th.
March 24, 2024
DNF. It started out well, working on Broadway and being in NYC but when it delved into Covid I just stopped. We all had the same boring 2 years or so which means I really don't care to read about someone else's boring Covid experience.
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