This is something I revisit quite often, and there’s a good chance I’ve written about this before or have spoken to some people about it. But it is so fascinating to think about how one decision can affect how the rest of your life plays out. (Yeah, more than 99.9% confident I’ve written about this before.)

Something coming up soon is VidCon. VidCon, I think, will always be an important part of my life. 2014 will mark my third VidCon, and it’s crazy to think that just 2 years ago in 2012, I was just starting out on YouTube (minus the whirlwind that was “the squirrel video” in 2009.) I had started up a new channel, had started learning about the latest and greatest YouTubers, and all that was left was for me to go to an event like VidCon. Except…there was a chance that I could’ve decided not to go at all.

You see, VidCon 2012 was really important to me because it was my first YouTube convention type event. That was where I heard YouTubers talking about the community as an industry, when previously I hadn’t really thought of it like that before. That was when I felt normal for vlogging in public, because practically everyone else around me was doing it, too. And that was when I was first really introduced to Maker Studios.

If you would’ve told me in 2012 that I would be helping plan VidCon 2014 as a part of Maker Studios, I would’ve punched you in the face for being so stupid. I never would have imagined that just 2 months after VidCon 2012, I’d be starting the adventure of my life that is Maker Studios, and it really blows my mind to think that I almost didn’t go to VidCon that year. If I hadn’t gone, I never would have hosted and created shows for RPM Network. I never would have had the opportunity to travel to Florida for Playlist LIVE or go to E3, something I’ve dreamed about since I was younger. And finally, I probably would have never met the people I interact with practically daily, whether it’s in person or on the Internet (or meeting people from the Internet in person, which is amazing.) It’s so hard to imagine not knowing about or ever meeting a lot of the people that I care about today. The people and experiences I’ve come across just because I went to VidCon in 2012…it’s amazing.

What would my life be like if I never went to VidCon 2012? Well, obviously that’s something that will never be found out, and can only be thought about. Would my life be better? Worse? I’ll never know, and somehow, that’s okay with me, because where I’m at right now, it’s pretty damn amazing.