dream job

Growing up you always have these grand ideas of what you want to be when you grow up. some of us will take those and run with them, and some will get to college and realize that maybe thats not the exact path they want to go. some of us will go on for further schooling, becoming the next doctors, astronauts, or pharmacists. and some of us will take the path less taken and maybe choose not to pursue things in the exact pathway our world tells us we should. 

When I was younger I thought I would be a doctor, and cure cancer. But I knew by middle school that  my interest, or lack there of, in science and math were not enough to get me through that career choice. When I hit high school I became very involved in the business department of my high school. I felt at home with the computers, web design, and leading. It was then I decided that I would someday own my own business. What that business would be was the real question. But it just seemed like the right fit for me. 

As I headed off to college it was obvious that I would major in business. This was my calling. I would own a business. The fall of my freshman year my mom got engaged and this is when I had my Aha moment, as Oprah would call it. Weddings. Her wedding was the first time I realized that all the things I enjoyed doing had a job title. Event coordinator became my next aspiration. I would plan grand events and weddings and make others peoples dreams come true. Now if they only had a major for event coordination. Schooling has never been easy for me. I am the girl who will study and study and still not do very well. I wanted to work more then I ever wanted to go to school. School for 4 hours or work for 8? I would choose work in a heartbeat.

My decision to take some time away from school was nothing but easy. It was a decision that I went back and forth on about a million and one times. I decided to switch majors and try something different  and give it another year before i really decided that this is what i wanted to do. I thankfully have the most supportive mother who was behind what ever decision i would make no matter what. Not many people can say that. Espeically when it was a decision regarding education.

Thankfully I was able to find a job event coordinating in Salem. This is what I wanted to do! It felt so right and it was at that time. I learned so much working as event coordinator for a facility. I learned about catering, and contracts, what I wanted my business to look like someday and more importantly what i didn't want it to look like. After a year there it was time to reevaluate. I was commuting and my hours were never guarenteed and the reality was that this wasn't a financially smart decision.

I then ended up with a job for the university. It was a relief to have some stability, and benefits. Things that don't seem that important when you are young but you realize are huge considerations when job searching. Having a stable job allowed me to start pursuing what my true passion was. I had a great friend and business partner who worked with me in putting on Dinner Parties. Not just any dinner party. We would come into your home and prepare and cook the meal there, and bring in everything to make a successful and memorable evening. Flowers, stemware, tableware, linens, the whole nine yards. And thanks to some connections we were able to even start doing some dinners for one of the deans on campus. I am truly blessed to be able to do what I am doing. I have a stable job that supports me and understanding coworkers who also support what I do outside of work. I am pursing a dream that I have had for years. And I know it will take many more to get where I really want to be. But I'm slowly but surly getting there. My non traditional route is risky and I am so aware that things would be a bit easier with a piece of paper saying I have a degree. But this was a decision I had to make for me. And right now I am perfectly content in it. I think this little saying is so true, "Your Dream job does not exist. You must create it." Has never been so true for what I want to do. And everyday I am trying to create it.

Hope you have a simply thoughtful Tuesday.