things I want to do at some point in my life

I'm sitting at work now and I'm thinking a lot of things. I'm thinking that I probably shouldn't be posting because I have other things that are much more important and pending and I'll have to make up for lost time later, but that's ok. I'm also thinking that I'm really lucky because, despite how difficult things can be at times, I'm in a far better situation than some other people and so I shouldn't complain and instead should be grateful. I have a job. That's awesome. And I have a good job, and a job that I enjoy, at least for the most part. I also have an apartment, a place to stay that's warm and has a bed. I'm healthy (knock on wood) and I have, hands down, the best family and friends anyone could ever ask for, so honestly, what more could a girl want? So all in all, I'm pretty content with the way things are.

But with that said, I decided to take a moment and reflect on some of the things I would like to do or to accomplish in my life. Some are a little more "unrealistic" than others perhaps, but I think it's about time I started to hone in on more specific goals instead of the generic. So here goes:

1) I want to travel.
This is a biggie. Huge, in fact. This is probably the one thing I want to do more than anything else. If was able to wander and explore the face of the world for a few years, even if I was ridiculously poor and had to work random jobs to get from place to place, I wouldn't care. There is so much out there to see, so many people to meet, so many cultures to experience, so much history to soak in, if I miraculously found a job that would pay me to travel the world, I would exist in a state of euphoria. But even if I don't find said career, I plan on saving for the next couple years so that I can live abroad, or at the very least travel for a few months. Where would you I go? you might ask. I would go every where. Start off in Europe, specifically Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, Belgium, Italy, Greece, etc. Then I would slowly venture into North Africa, Egypt and so on, and then dip down to South Africa. After that I would explore India and Maylasia, Indonesia, and Japan. Vietnam would be interesting, too, and maybe China, although for some reason I don't find China as interesting as other countries... Then I'd head south to New Zealand and Australia and then circle back up through South America (Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, etc.). Oh man, that would be awesome!!
2) I want to work in the music industry.
I don't really care what it is I would be doing, I just want to have the opportunity to experience live music on a regular basis and to help others access it as well. I would love to be a music scout, maybe for a record company or a TV show or movie or something. I always love discovering new artists and I actually take pride in my music library, as I think it's pretty diverse and I would say at least half full of many bands and musicians that most people haven't really heard. I love it when I find a new song or artist and then a year or so later they're on the radio or being featured in a local venue or something. To work in the music industry would be totally awesome.
3) I want to teach.
I'm not sure what age (elementary vs. high school - I think I would avoid middle school altogether...), but at some point in my life, I want to teach. My parents were both teachers, so I resisted the thought entirely for quite some time, as I didn't want to follow in their footsteps, so to speak. But the more I think about it, the more I would love it. My mom was an amazing teacher and she spread her passion for education and learning to so many people, young and old. Always supportive and always encouraging, she helped many people with their educations, including her children, her husband, her best friend, and countless others. She was a great role model - why wouldn't anyone want to follow in her footsteps? And I'm not sure what subject I would teach (I'm referring to high school level of course), but I think I would enjoy either math or government. English/literature would be fun, too, but I think my passions lie in the former two subjects.
4) I want to be an artist.
This one is kind of vague, yes, and I don't know exactly what type of artist I would want to be (i.e. painting, music, etc.), but at some point in my life I want to create something terribly honest and terribly true to who I am. I want it to be all me, 100%. I don't care if it's on the amateur level or professional, but just to have something that I alone created would be absolutely amazing.
5) I want to write a book.
I've been told by many different people that I should write a book. People have told me, for reasons I don't entirely understand, that I have a talent for writing and expressing ideas, and with the very interesting experiences I've had in my life, I think it would be at somewhat interesting story.
6) I want to become a certified handwriting analyist, and maybe even work as a criminal profiler.
So if the traveling thing doesn't work out and I can't seem to manage to find a job in the music industry, this is definitely the third job tied in first place for my dream career. I don't know what it is, but there is something terribly fascinating about handwriting analysis and graphology. I try to buy as many books as I can find on the subject and I absolutely love it!! It's an amazing tool to learn more about a person you haven't even met, or even someone you have. It's kind of like a secret weapon, or maybe not a weapon, but a tool or a talent that you have that no one really knows about. I love learning about people.

Ok, so this is just the beginning. I just kind of started rambling after a while perhaps, and maybe these are a little more generic than I had expected. However, the list is not over. It's just all of what I could come with on a Friday afternoon at 4:00P while wasting time before I get to go home. And you know, it's not so much that I want to be rich or famous or "successful" as some people like to say, it's just that I want to have experiences. Honest experiences. I love connecting with people and seeing how they tick and I figure the best way for me to start to do that is to figure out myself first. I have this hunger for learning, for exploring, and in case you haven't noticed, sometimes it's difficult for me to sit still or to say in the same place for a long period of time. I just get ansy, I don't know what it is. Call it impatience, call it crazy, call it whatever you want. But I know that right now I am in no mood to sit still or to settle.