The Plan

Conversations of late have been revolving around the future. 

My little sister and I had a chat about where we'll be when we grow up.  We both agreed that we don't plan on living in our hometown after we graduate college.  There are so many places in the world - why would we want to experience only one of them? 

My boss shared insight with me the other day about her success in life- she is not afraid of change.  She said a lot of people her age stay in the same place for more than 30 years, but she has always been ready to take whatever path life opens up.  She embraces the opportunities she is presented with anticipation, not fear.

When spring semester was drawing to a close, I met a guy who was set to graduate that next week... who was only in his second year of school... and double-majoring in business and nuclear engineering.  Holy moly ambition.  He told me that his next step was to leave for New York City, where he would be working for a medical research team, but before he made it there, he was doing a month-long internship in Las Vegas. 

A few months ago, I had lunch with a friend, and for fun, we daydreamed out the next ten or so years of our lives.  I don't remember what his plan was (oops, bad friend), but mine has stuck with me.  Of course, I don't expect that my life will follow exactly this oddly specific design, but it captures the essence of what I'm aiming for.  Life has so much to offer.  If it takes a silly little agenda to remember that, then a silly little agenda I'll make.

The Plan

The next three years - I'll finish school, of course.  I love college with my whole heart, and my days there are filled to the brim.  I plan to study abroad for a semester, somewhere in Europe, perhaps.  And heeding some advice from my double major friend, I'll intern as much as possible. 

The one or two or three after that - New York City!  Or Chicago or DC or any big city with skyscrapers and museums and lots of take-out options (but I'm set on New York for right now).  I'll live in a big, airy studio apartment and find a job with my brand new marketing degree and community-and-civic-engagement minor.  I don't want to live there long term; I'd miss the stars, fields, and trees, and I don't really want to have kids there.  I think. 

And for about a year - a friend of a friend of a friend will have a cousin or something who lives in Italy or someplace and is a librarian.  Said cousin will become pregnant and her protective Italian husband will insist that she take a year off for her and the baby's health.  So I'll take over as the librarian at a sweet little village library, and teach English lessons in the afternoon.  I'll stay in the extra room at the home of a old couple who speak no English.  They'll make me coffee in the mornings and pasta at night.  I'll be absolutely broke from spending all of my money traveling around the continent.
     *Sidenote: I'm not sure where things will be relationship-wise by this point.  Maybe I'll have a husband... maybe I'll have nothing.  In that case, I'll have a romantic fling with a very tall and and very dark and very handsome Italian man.  Duh.

After that - maybe I'll settle down at this point.  With a husband and kids and such. I'd love a place full of history, and not too much snow.

Beyond that, it's all a little fuzzy.  But aren't dreams always so?