The Dream

The combination of losing my dog and starting "Eat, Pray, Love" in the same week has made me want to get my sh*t together and stop procrastinating so much. So I tried to sit down and figure out what I really want from life. If I could build my dream life, what would it look like? Here goes:

Career- I'm actually okay career wise. I'd like to move into a position with more authority and less interaction with lawyers, property owners and state regulators but I like the basics of my current job. I make a good salary and have great benefits so I'm not really focused on money. I'd like to maintain the same flex time schedule that allows me to work from home and/or go to the office at my discretion and has most of my co-workers located in different cities from the one I live in. I never want to go back to the big office type of job where you don't get any work done because people are always in your business.

Fitness and Wellness- I will become an aerobics instructor so that I'm not so tempted to skip my gym workouts. I used to thrive when I taught karate and I feel like there isn't anything that can replace that feeling except for teaching. I have registered for a class that takes place next month and should be able to start teaching classes in October.

I give a lot of free advice to people (even though I don't necessarily follow my own). I think being a life coach and/or personal trainer would allow me to help more people get their lives together. This is probably a few years down the road, once I get myself together.

Neither of these jobs would provide me with the cash flow to be a full time job but I think it would provide me with a sense of purpose in life and interaction with people that is missing from my "real job".

I will get back into good running shape so that I don't injure myself every time I run a big race. If I could get back down to 10 minute mile pace, that would be great (I'm probably 12:30 right now) but I'm more focused on not feeling so crappy after I run.

Social Life- I will keep being active in my meetup groups because they do provide a great opportunity to socialize with people even if I don't develop any big friendships outside of the meetups.

I will find a way to speak Spanish on a regular basis. I have studied Spanish since I was three and studied abroad in college. I was almost fluent at one point but can barely communicate now because I haven't had to speak it in years. Maybe I will find a conversational Spanish group or join a Salsa group.

I will join a local orchestra. I started playing the flute in 6th grade and was a very accomplished flautist at one point. I know I'm not good enough to be in a symphony orchestra or anything but there are several community bands and orchestras that I have seen advertised that are open to new members. Music has always been a big part of my life and I'd love to get back into that.


A group of people that I can go out dancing with. I love to dance but that's definitely something that I can't do alone. Birthday parties, superbowl parties, going out to bars, dinner at each other's houses, and all the great stuff that comes with having a core group of friends.


I will challenge myself (and my husband) to try things that are out of our comfort zone. While I love our weekly dates to the movies, I think we might be in a little rut too. Plus, excitement in our social life could lead to a little more excitement in the bedroom and who doesn't want that?

We will buy an RV once we get rid of our credit card debt. I never completely relax on vacation because I miss my pets and my routine. I love the idea of an RV because I'm traveling but I still have many of the comforts of home. We rarely travel for more than 4-5 days at a time because I don't feel comfortable leaving the pets for that long and get frustrated with the hotel/friend that we are staying with. An RV would allow us to take longer vacations because we could take the pets with us but we wouldn't have to worry about staying in hotels or with relatives. We could really enjoy our RV life once we retire but I think we would really enjoy it now too.

Dream House- A ranch house with large rooms and lots of windows. Brick or stone construction. A very green house with recycled rain water, solar panels, etc. At least 2 acres of land. No cookie-cutter subdivisions with neighbors in your backyard. An old barn where we could have an arts and crafts studio and an indoor pool (really, this is important because it gets cold in Syracuse). A garden where I could grow herbs and vegetables to cook with. Not too far away from parks and lakes or a city. Lots of opportunities for hiking, kayaking and other outdoor activities close to home but less than an hour drive if we want to go to a concert or play. A wrap around porch with a big swing and a wood rocking chair. A gazebo in the backyard where I could read and write in peace.

Retirement- I'd love to own a bed and breakfast that caters to travelers with dogs. Over the years I have frequented these places and they have made my travel much easier but there are not enough of them around. I would become certified in canine massage so that I could provide a service to the doggie guests as part of their package. This would be a relatively small, intimate place that catered to only a few guests at a time.



So that's it.