Sometimes, I get discouraged, run down, and worry about getting to do all the things I’ve always dreamed of doing. However, when I stop to think about it, I’ve done so many amazing things that others only dream of, and I really need to always remember what I’ve done and how it’s made me who I am.

I wanted to put my life into perspective, so I decided to apply my life experiences to the kiddie question “When I grow up, I want to…”

When I grow up, I want to travel Europe. Done it.

When I grow up, I want to live in London. Done that, too.

When I grow up, I want to study in Greece, France, Belgium, and England. Check.

When I grow up, I want to spend time in Jordan learning about the Middle East and getting certified in Conflict Resolution. Check, Check, Check.

When I grow up, I want to go to college. Yup.

When I grow up, I want to fall in love. Sure have.

When I grow up, I want to have a fun car. Check, Golden Nuggett.

When I grow up, I want to have lots of good friends. They’re the best.

When I grow up, I want to live in a big city. ATL, baby!

When I grow up, I want to live in a nice place with a swimming pool. Check.

When I grow up, I want to be close to my family. Love them.

When I grow up, I want to have a fun job in a cool place where dogs can come, too. Got it.

When I grow up, I want to have a fun, enjoyable, independent, and glamorous life. Sure do.

When I grow up, I want to make lots of money so I can keep traveling. Working on it…… 😉

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Not bad, if I do say so myself, and there’s honestly so much more that I’ve seen, done and experinced. A very good, much-needed exercise.  That, and this quote:

“There are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.”
-“The Third and Final Continent,” Jhumpa Lahiri

I’ve never been able to find a better way to express how I feel about my experiences.