What do you want to be when you grow up?

I'm sure you all remember being asked this in grade school.  Today I've been thinking a lot about all the occupations I've wanted throughout the years and while they're all fresh in my mind I thought I'd share.  To be honest I've never really known what I've wanted to do.  Even coming out of High School I had no clue and I guess you can say I've always been trying to figure it out.  Even now that I have time to set it aside I think about it.  Some day I do plan to go back to school and I'm hoping I'll have some idea by then.  But for the time being here's an updated list of all the jobs I've wanted throughout the years.  Some of them I gave up on years ago and some of them (the last 3) I'd still like to do.

#1 is a CLOWN.  When I was real little (like 4-6) I thought I was hilarious and I loved to make people laugh by doing stupid things.

#2 is a COMEDIAN.  Someone tipped me off to the fact that you couldn't actually go to "clown school" (7-8).  When I turned 8 and started to calm down I realized that my "humor" was just me being goofy.

#3 is a VETERINARIAN.  When we moved we started a collection of pets; dogs, cats, etc.  I've always really like animals and felt a connection with them but I realized a few years later that I'd never want to operate on or put an animal down (9-12).

#4 is a PRO SOCCER PLAYER.  My parents started putting me in different sports and I really took to soccer.  I continued to play several years of AYSO and a few years in High School but I realized that as much as I like it I'd never be good enough to play professionally (12-14).

#5 is a PARK RANGER.  I've always loved nature.  It's amazing.  So I figured the perfect job would be to live in the woods and take care of it, solve problems and help people. (14-16)

#6 is a volunteer in the PEACE CORPS.  I can't imagine a more satisfying job than to travel the world and help people.

 

#7 is a MARINE BIOLOGIST.  I love the ocean and animals so it was a perfect fit.  Science was always one of my favorite subjects and I was thrilled by the idea that I'd get to spend weeks at a time on a boat studying new species.  A little bit different but in the same field I also thought it would be a blast to work at Sea World with the underwater animals.  I'd still love to do it but I don't know how practical it would be living in Bakersfield.

#8 is a ZOOLOGIST.  As much as I love water animals I still really like land animals.  I LOVE going to the zoo.  It would be a dream job for me to care for and study any kind of animal.  Especially the babies (their SO cute).

#9 is a PHYSICAL THERAPIST.  I tossed around the ideas of getting a biology degree, a P.E. degree or Kinesiology degree.  I also took a class in nutrition and really enjoyed it.  But the problem was that not one of these had exactly what I wanted and then I read a description of what a Physical Therapist did and I was hooked.  It's the perfect combination of all my interests and to top it off I'll get to change peoples lives for the better.