The Dream Job Jungle Gym

I have had a pretty clear idea of the kind of career truly I want for a few years now. Far more refined than my original thoughts of I just want to be happy or when I grow up, I wanna beee....

That being said, especially in the last two years, the route to get there has been very foggy. I have a good understanding of all the steps, I know what I need to do. But I don't live where it is easy to do those things, and heaven help me, I'm not in a position to accept an unpaid internship just to gain that experience and get that other foot in the door.

But, despite my reoccurring discouragement, I really am getting through that fog. I have been lucky enough to be working in a position that is one of the single best stepping stones towards my dream job. I started at The Hotel almost 16 months ago, and it has absolutely been the beginning of everything I needed.

Tears in Shaws when I saw precious paper florals 

Still though, it is not what I envisioned, it's not the goal. I struggle to remember that being here doesn't mean I have sworn off the dream job. I am not stuck. This is not all that I will do.  I struggle to remember, I am 23 - that really, this is truly the beginning of the journey to that dream job. I continuously find myself referring to the wonderful, really unbelievable, Marina Keegan's The Opposite of Loneliness*

"We're so young. We're so young. We're twenty-two years old. We have so much time...What we have to remember is we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over...The notion that it's too late to do anything is comical. It's hilarious...We're so young. We can't, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it's all we have."

And as I have desperately clung to the notion of I am so young through the summer, I have come to the rather simple realization that this career, this foggy path to Dream Jobland, is only another jungle gym to explore. There is no straight shot, there is no one size fits all, there is no cut and dry formula here. It's not easy, but like any other set of monkey bars, it is so possible. There are obstacles, there are challenges, but really, once you're in there, and you just keeping completing each part, it suddenly seems so doable.

I know I am not where I want to end up. But I also am finally seeing, I am where I need to be. That doesn't mean I don't get restless, of course I still wish that job would land in my lap. But it does mean I'm a little bit closer to accepting it will just take time to get through the jungle gym.

Little heart sparks flying for my dream job at By Emily B.

*Frankly, I've read this no less than five times since picking it up last summer, and really I implore you to check out.