are you living your dream?

[rumples]

Heck no! And thank God for that!

I always thought that I would be the well-balanced woman who had it all - high-powered career, married to someone just as ambitious, 2 kids in private school, PTA, bake sales, board meetings... the list goes on and on... They could do it in the movies of the 80's, so why couldn't I?

Mar 8, 2011 16:23:02 GMT -5 Plain Old Petunia said:

I once dreamed of being a princess, having a twin sister, and owning a sparkly, silver horse. That dream came to naught.

Ditto! Of course, I was always the older twin.

[debtheaven]

No. I wanted to be a poet. But I'm not a poet, nor an actress, nor a best-selling novelist, nor a rock star.

I'm still pretty happy though.

It's true, it can be very hard to lay our childhood dreams to rest. But like I recently said elsewhere, that's part of growing up IMO. Or else you know that you want it badly enough (whatever "it" is) and you just go for it, the rest be da.mned.

ETA: I forgot, I'm not an Olympic figure skater either. I can still figure skate though!

[Deleted]

If you skip the childhood dreams (I'm not a model or a ballerina, nor was I ever suited to become either), I'd say I've exceeded mine. I always pictured myself in some high-powered techie-type job, dressed for success and making lots of money. I also really wanted to travel to Europe. I've been to Europe at least once a year and sometimes 2 or 3, since 2001. I never would have dreamed that I would travel to Europe as part of my job and I do. Kids weren't in the plan and then I really wanted one when I hit 30 and then worried about whether I'd warp him by continuing to work. I don't think I did. Houses and cars weren't a big part of it- I planned to own both but they didn't have to be the fanciest. DH and I still have a more modest car and house than people who make a lot less than we do.

Overall, I feel blessed. Having both a wonderful career and a wonderful son, and traveling to Europe more than I ever expected to, have helped me to exceed my early dreams.

[souldoubt]

When I was little at different times I said I wanted to be a veterinarian and then an architect. A vet is something probably a lot of kids might say wanting to work with animals but this was nothing more than me being a kid as I never did anything later that would have led me down that path. I can say the same thing for an architect and considering my strengths and weaknesses I think that would have been a horrible choice but that's one dream I held on to a bit longer.

These days like Archie I'm a bean counter. I honestly knew I wanted to be one by the time I was out of high school and never changed majors. My realistic dream was to stand on my own two feet and be able to afford my own place some day and I'm slowly working towards the last part while I accomplished the first part years ago.

Like a lot of people I'd love to just quit my job, travel for a bit and stretch my savings out but then reality sets in. Someone I used to work with quit to travel because she wasn't doing what she wanted to for a living and was getting stressed out. She's back from her travels now, almost out of money and will be couch surfing for a few months while trying to find a job. If that doesn't work out she's going to have to move back home. More power to her but that's not for me at this point in life.

[michelyn8]

Mar 8, 2011 17:04:20 GMT -5 kdamron said:

"I have been to Scotland and it is gloriously green. I hope you get there and enjoy it as much as I did or more."

It's also glorious covered in snow and lit up for Christmas. I got there later than I wanted, but I did get there.

I did get to spend 30 minutes in Ireland during the layover on our flight back from Madrid. But seriously, I do remember it being the greenest place I ever saw (what little I saw from the Shannon Airport).

I'm still hoping to get over there one day....................I've even priced trips that would allow me to visit Ireland, Scotland and England. What I will probably end up doing though is taking a trip with the local junior college when they go there again. My cousin has taken a couple of those trips and loved it.

[Cookies Galore]

Well, somehow I'm not a world-renowned screenwriter/music journalist with a drinking problem (hey, Charles Bukowski rocked his), but I think being a likable medical editor with a taste for good wine isn't too shabby.

[vonnie6200]

Mar 8, 2011 16:28:22 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

The dream of being an accountant at a construction company is played over and over in the heads of millions of children.

Too funny!

[debtheaven]

Megham, sorry Meghan, I just love bacon so. Karma to you from one journalist to another LOL.

[midjd]

I always dreamed of being a novelist... I do a TON of writing at my job so it fits well enough for me to be happy. I didn't decide to be a lawyer until mid-way through college so didn't have much time to dream about it. I kept my head down and plugged through law school without giving much thought to what my future held (a mistake at times), but I have a job I love and some wonderful coworkers, so it all seems to have worked out for the best.

Personal goals, I guess I assumed I'd get married and have kids. I'm happily married but no kids in the immediate future. We just bought a house I love... we started "dreaming" in the 2007 market, so the 2010 prices were absolute bargains. Definitely got lucky there.

Overall, things are pretty good. There have been some unexpected deaths, drama, and minor upheavals in my family that I really didn't dream of, but the bad has to come along with the good. I'm one of those people who is always waiting for the other shoe to drop... when things go TOO well I start getting nervous!

[Waffle]

Mostly, no.

When I first started college, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but by my senior year, I no longer wanted to do that.

Sometimes I like my job, sometimes I don't. It's certainly nothing that I ever dreamed of doing.

One dream I did have from a young age was to build a house, and I did have a house built about 10 years ago.

My side business is my current dream job. The real dream would be to make enough money from that to be able to stop the "day job". But I don't think that's very likely.

[Cookies Galore]

Mar 8, 2011 21:11:44 GMT -5 @debtheaven said:

Megham, sorry Meghan, I just love bacon so. Karma to you from one journalist to another LOL.

LOL, back at you!

[sapphire12]

Sort of --

When I graduated college I had three goals -- to not be fat, to not be poor, and to travel. Somewhere along the way the goals were modififed to be healthy, have a fab retirement, and vacation at least once a year.
Now I'm healthy, retirement is on track, I try to vacation between 3 and 4 times a year. The longer I live, the more places I add to my list.
I've been on my dream trip to Egypt to see the Pyramids. I walked through the Egyptian Musuem that was vandalized during the recent protests. Oh my, how blessed I am. Life will calm down in Egypt again and it will be safe to visit again.
One more continent to go and I will have accomplished stepping foot on 5 other continents. I hate the cold, so Antartica has never been a part of my plan, though Iceland is in the plans; go figure.
I have shelter. I have food. I have clothes. I have a job. I have parents that love me, in spite of me. My God I am rich beyond measure. I'll keep dreaming.

[upstatemom]

Great thread, I truly loved reading the responses. As said by others, dreams change and I can honestly say most of mine have come true and I look forward to the news one too.

This past year I have seen so many families fall apart with nasty divorces, I pray that their dreams may be rekindled too!

[upstatemom]

Mar 8, 2011 20:01:02 GMT -5 michelyn8 said:

Mar 8, 2011 17:04:20 GMT -5 kdamron said:

"I have been to Scotland and it is gloriously green. I hope you get there and enjoy it as much as I did or more."

It's also glorious covered in snow and lit up for Christmas. I got there later than I wanted, but I did get there.

I did get to spend 30 minutes in Ireland during the layover on our flight back from Madrid. But seriously, I do remember it being the greenest place I ever saw (what little I saw from the Shannon Airport).

I'm still hoping to get over there one day....................I've even priced trips that would allow me to visit Ireland, Scotland and England. What I will probably end up doing though is taking a trip with the local junior college when they go there again. My cousin has taken a couple of those trips and loved it.

Be sure to follow this dream, the British Isles are magical. I did them twice by renting cars and staying at B &B's once with friends and once with DH. Both trips were priceless!

[Deleted]

If I ever had any dreams, I forgot them a long time ago. Maybe they got lost while I was trying to just survive. I've managed so far, but I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

[Elizabeth]

Mar 8, 2011 16:33:33 GMT -5 Opti said:

No, but I'm still working on some newer ones. Small dreams do come true lately. I was thinking I wanted more karma and poof some wonderful poster gave me an exalt.

Thank- you poster!

Here's some more karma. Cheers!

[Loopdilou]

Mar 8, 2011 16:03:51 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

By 30 I was supposed to have 3.5 million dollars and be retired. I was going to buy a cheap little house somewhere and spend at least half the year traveling. I had no real idea how I was going to make the money, which might have been the problem. Anyway, my life isn't too bad right now, but no I'm not living the dream. Of course, originally I didn't picture myself with kids. There's no way I'd trade my daughters for some trips to Europe.

Ok, that's my husband's opinion. I'd trade my daughters for LOTS of trips to Europe.

I'm not living my dream, but I can't say I'm totally unhappy with where I've ended up.

[Elizabeth]

I wanted to be a fashion designer. I even talked to a couple great schools about it. However, they required a lot of money parental support, I had neither. I work in equipment finance now, but I really like it. I just wish I could have used my artistic abilities to some extent. But I have a pretty good gig, and feel thankful to have it every day.

[dcmetrocrab]

I was living the dream 10 years ago, now I'm not. At 23, I had a well paying job, my own apt, lived in a city with a subway system and in a no car necessary neighborhood, had good friends, traveled often. Was carefree and loving it.

I wanted to be married by 25, have my first kid by 28, second in early thirties, living in a home, 2 kids, cat, dog, good stable job in the same industry, making 6 figures by 30, loved work so much that I was looking forward to working as long as possible.

I had no idea I'd be where I am now at 33. No kids, not married, needing to make a career shift b/c my industry has left the area, still living in the same apartment, saving tons of money. I realized time flies, and getting married, having kids is scaring me way more than expected. That said, I'm in a 7 year stable relationship, still scared about kids but mentally starting to feel ready. New main goal is to be ready to work as long as I desire, but be financially ready to retire at 50. Currently on track to retire early, but the kids factor is a wild card and my childhood dream had always been to become a SAHM. No idea how I feel about that now, I won't know until I get there.

[azphx1972]

My childhood dream was simple: make 40k/year as an engineer and live in an 80k house. My current reality is more than 3x that, however my dream now is to pay off my house (or downsize to something smaller when the market recovers) and continue to save/invest for retirement so that I can choose not to work for money by my 50s if I want to.

[tractor]

I always wanted to be in middle management. After 20 years, it's getting kind of boring.

[resolution]

I wanted to have my own horse and somehow make a living racing it like the kids in the Black Stallion series. That dream pretty much ended when my parents bought me a horse and I found out how much work they are, that they still need exercise when it is hot out, that their manure smells and it has to be shoveled, water trough gets moldy if not scrubbed, etc... I did enjoy the horse but it snapped me out of that fantasy very quickly.

Right now I am not really sure what my dreams are. There are a lot of places I would like to see, but not one that I consider to be my dream. We had actually booked a trip to see the Pyramids later this year, which of course has been canceled. I still have to figure out where to go instead. My current job sounded like a dream (working from home) but it has its pros and cons and is a temporary job. I guess I am still looking for a new dream, other than my financial goals. I try to appreciate how much I have to be thankful for, but I guess I should put more time into coming up with new dreams.

[daylight]

Tractor - hilarious. Karma for you.

I wanted to be published and I got, way earlier than I could have hoped. I also wanted to be married and have one kid at this time, but that was before I found out that my job will usually be a 12-hour occupation per day. Oh well. I'm hoping to be back on track and have triplets, so I can catch up with my family oriented dreams.

[Deleted]

I didn't become what I thought I'd be - but I'm happier than I ever imagined I'd be.

[pammy831]

I wanted to either work at K-mart or be a school bus driver LOL. Obviously the first one lost its appeal in life probably at age 13 or so lol. I actually did the school bus driver thing for a while but it's difficult when you don't like children that much lol.

[debtheaven]

If I ever had any dreams, I forgot them a long time ago. Maybe they got lost while I was trying to just survive. I've managed so far, but I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Hey Pink karma to you! You are always so encouraging, I hope you get some of your dreams back. Maybe you either need to reclaim those dreams, or find new ones. Everybody needs dreams. I'm still trying to figure out what I want when I grow up too LOL!

Anne .. fess up (if you don't mind of course!) What did you think you would be?

[998fbird]

kari you made me laugh! I too wanted a horse and I had the chance to lease one for awhile and found out that while I enjoyed it, it wasn't my passion, and that horses are lots of work.
I have been lucky enough to have done a couple of things in my life I wanted to do...and the rest of the time I spend trying to be grateful for all of the good things in my life.

[Deleted]

debtheaven: Thank you!

I'm not making much progress in figuring out what I want to be when I grow up, but I am working on finding some new dreams. I agree that everybody needs dreams.

[Nazgul Girl]

I wanted a twin also. And a horse that was not only silver and sparkled ( although mine was golden and named Ziadeh ), it had to be really smart and be waiting for me when I got off the bus from school. Well, that one never materialized.

My grown-up dreams have been met to large extent. I have a wonderful husband, a great daughter, a happy home, and lots of fun. My job is medium-exciting, and very secure. I want to retire, though. I just found out that I have to work 3 more years than I thought because my employer just reorganized its retire-with-paid-for-health-insurance, so I suppose I'll be coding a lot more medical charts than I thought !! We'll see, since I can also save up the estimated cost of health insurance and retire earlier. Retirement will depend on the state of our health. We've had a wonderful time with two time shares at WDW, but just sold them. No more mouse ears for us. It sure was fun, though.

[cronewitch]

Mar 8, 2011 16:28:22 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

The dream of being an accountant at a construction company is played over and over in the heads of millions of children.

That was sort of my dream and has come true. In high school my bookkeeping teacher said with two classes in high school bookkeeping you can be a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping was the easiest class I ever took so it seemed like a plan. I was going to take the next year but moved to a smaller school that didn't offer it, but I held on to the dream.

When I was older I decided to go to CC to study bookkeeping but they had me enroll in a class named acc101. They said I needed 3 classes to be a bookkeeper. I changed school and the new one said I needed a 2 year degree to be a junior accountant so I got one. Then I landed a job as assistant bookkeeper. I loved cost accounting in school so landed a construction company bookkeeping job in 1977. Now I am a bookkeeper for a shipyard, plenty of cost accounting. I did other stuff in between like software support, was a CPA, tax analyst, but now I am living the cost accounting bookkeeping dream.