Cast a Wide Net

I've been thinking a lot lately about dreams, goals, and aspirations. I have a ton of them! All of these things that I want to accomplish in my lifetime that seem to get pushed back to the wayside. However, lately, I've been thinking that now is the time to make my dreams come true and that I cannot sit back and wait for them to happen. It just won't happen if I do that.

1. Be a published author. One of my goals is to get my book published and subsequent books published. I have wanted this for so many years that I cannot even remember when I didn't want it. Time to just get it done, kids. I'm working on the revisions. I think I am just going to get the first two chapters beautiful and polished and start sending out feelers to agents and publishers. Don't know until I try, right?

2. Go back to school. I have been avoiding this inevitability for awhile now, but I keep going back to it. Ever since I went into English as an undergraduate I knew that this was what I would want to/have to do. Eventually I want to get my PhD (hold your gasps), but for now I will stick with getting an Master's. I've been looking at schools and programs. Turns out most of the ones I want to go to also require a GRE. Yay. A test. Go me.

I'm looking at schools in Utah (UofU), California (UC-Davis), Missouri (St. Louis University), and Colorado (Regis in Denver). I'm still wide open as to where I will actually go, but those are the primary options at the moment. It also depends a lot on who will take me.

3. Get a new job. Even if I don't go to school in the next few months (seeing how I have to study for a GRE) I do need/want to get a new job. Regardless of going back to school, I can also get an education by living in a different culture for awhile. My heart will always be in Idaho, but I need to spread my wings and fly. I just applied to a dozen (literally) jobs through Wells Fargo just to cast a wide net and see who will bite. Wells Fargo is a good company to work for with lots of opportunity for growth. They also would be a good means to an end to get me out of here.

4. Travel. I want to get to a point where I can travel as much as I want. I want to see the world. Get a passport and start filling that sucker up. I get to go to California this year and Hawaii next year, but I've been to both those places (love them!) so I want to see some new places: Boston, Washington DC, Greenville*, Chicago, Denver, Portland (Maine and Oregon), Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, the list goes on.

5. Relationships. No one really wants to be lonely. While I am content being single at the moment, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to find someone.

My biggest thing lately is trying not to let myself get overwhelmed or discouraged. No dream is unattainable or too big anymore. I do not want to look back on my life in twenty years and be filled with regret.

*My wonderful cousin, Kara, if you are reading this: I am still planning on visiting you in NC, but things have been crazy so I have had to postpone. Don't hate me. :)