My dad was an electrical engineer in his home country. When he immigrated to the US in the Seventies, he had to basically start over because his certifications weren't recognized. He took it as an opportunity to try and change careers, and he looked at everything from locksmithing to programming.

Several years ago, long after he passed, I found the C book he used. "Hey, I know C!" I thought. It was a weird feeling to have independently ended up in the field he strived to be in.