hopes and dreams
I wrote this back in 2008 as an assignment for my journalism class. I come back to it whenever I want to remind myself of the ambitions I have (like today!). I definitely have more to add!
List of 20 things I hope to do, and goals I hope to reach before I leave planet Earth:
1. Buy “1000 Places to See Before You Die” and try my best to see those thousand places. Ever since I bought the corresponding puzzle to the book one summer, I’ve wanted to travel the world even more than I have before.
2. Learn how to play guitar, violin or both. My family didn't let me join the orchestra in elementary school for some odd reason, and I haven’t learned how to play violin ever since. Learning guitar would also be a fun experience.
3. See my nephew and my sister’s unborn child grow up [edit: he's 17 months now]. I never really got to be around little kids when I was growing up because I was the youngest, so I really want to be a part of their lives from the get go.
4. Teach, provide healthcare, and/or care to people in underserved countries or populations in America. Besides from traveling around the world recreationally, I believe helping those less fortunate than me will open my eyes to the world and allow me to make their lives a little bit better.
[Edit: made one trip so far; more to come I hope!]
5. Work at a newspaper, magazine, or television station. This has always been a childhood goal of mine because working in the media seems so exciting.
6. Save a life. Why not?
7. Work as a health care professional. Having a career in health care will be very rewarding, and it’s a way to directly give back to the community.
8. Grill my parents for their life stories so I can pass them on to my own children. Oftentimes my family doesn’t communicate and share what’s going on, and I want to bridge that gap.
9. Take my dad to Europe and see symphonies and operas. He loves classical music, history and learning, so I want to give him the chance to see the world while he still can.
10. Learn a martial art/self-defense. It’s an empowering feeling to know how to defend yourself. I just know I would not want to be in a situation where I am helpless physically.
11. Go wine-tasting and race hot air balloons. I’m not sure if racing hot air balloons is possible, but it’s an idea.
[Edit: have only done the wine-tasting part. Hot air balloons to come later]
12. Write a book. I tried doing this when I was twelve. My dad’s trying to write his own memoirs, but hasn’t really gotten around to it, so I believe if he doesn’t start soon, I might start helping him.
13. Help with a criminal investigation. I was really into mysteries and detective fiction, and I used to want to be a forensic scientist or detective. Living through CSI: Miami (on the investigator side, of course) would be an interesting experience.
14. Act in a film. I think I’ve always been enamored by movies and the idea of acting. I know acting isn’t always a glamorous experience, but being in a film just once would be awesome.
15. Establish a charity. I want to find a cause I’m really passionate about and find ways to fight against it.
16. Learn different types of dance. I love to dance, and learning different types would be great (ballroom, tango, salsa, hip hop, etc.).
17. Marry the love of my life. I’m pretty happy with myself, but being with my better half would enhance life even more.
18. Get a dog. I plan to get one when I know I can take care of him or her since dogs need constant attention and care. After my childhood experiences with our family dog and reading Marley and Me, I want the experience of having a dog again.
19. Keep a journal. I’ve tried doing this so many times, and I should keep trying. It’s amazing to go back and read about little things that happened years ago I wouldn’t remember had I not written it down.
20. Be successful and prosper. To do all the things on this list and more, I probably need to be substantially well-off; maybe not as much as my anatomy professor who takes his family on medical trips to Africa or some other underserved place practically every year, but enough to live on (and maybe more).
List of 20 things I hope to do, and goals I hope to reach before I leave planet Earth:
1. Buy “1000 Places to See Before You Die” and try my best to see those thousand places. Ever since I bought the corresponding puzzle to the book one summer, I’ve wanted to travel the world even more than I have before.
2. Learn how to play guitar, violin or both. My family didn't let me join the orchestra in elementary school for some odd reason, and I haven’t learned how to play violin ever since. Learning guitar would also be a fun experience.
3. See my nephew and my sister’s unborn child grow up [edit: he's 17 months now]. I never really got to be around little kids when I was growing up because I was the youngest, so I really want to be a part of their lives from the get go.
4. Teach, provide healthcare, and/or care to people in underserved countries or populations in America. Besides from traveling around the world recreationally, I believe helping those less fortunate than me will open my eyes to the world and allow me to make their lives a little bit better.
[Edit: made one trip so far; more to come I hope!]
5. Work at a newspaper, magazine, or television station. This has always been a childhood goal of mine because working in the media seems so exciting.
6. Save a life. Why not?
7. Work as a health care professional. Having a career in health care will be very rewarding, and it’s a way to directly give back to the community.
8. Grill my parents for their life stories so I can pass them on to my own children. Oftentimes my family doesn’t communicate and share what’s going on, and I want to bridge that gap.
9. Take my dad to Europe and see symphonies and operas. He loves classical music, history and learning, so I want to give him the chance to see the world while he still can.
10. Learn a martial art/self-defense. It’s an empowering feeling to know how to defend yourself. I just know I would not want to be in a situation where I am helpless physically.
11. Go wine-tasting and race hot air balloons. I’m not sure if racing hot air balloons is possible, but it’s an idea.
[Edit: have only done the wine-tasting part. Hot air balloons to come later]
12. Write a book. I tried doing this when I was twelve. My dad’s trying to write his own memoirs, but hasn’t really gotten around to it, so I believe if he doesn’t start soon, I might start helping him.
13. Help with a criminal investigation. I was really into mysteries and detective fiction, and I used to want to be a forensic scientist or detective. Living through CSI: Miami (on the investigator side, of course) would be an interesting experience.
14. Act in a film. I think I’ve always been enamored by movies and the idea of acting. I know acting isn’t always a glamorous experience, but being in a film just once would be awesome.
15. Establish a charity. I want to find a cause I’m really passionate about and find ways to fight against it.
16. Learn different types of dance. I love to dance, and learning different types would be great (ballroom, tango, salsa, hip hop, etc.).
17. Marry the love of my life. I’m pretty happy with myself, but being with my better half would enhance life even more.
18. Get a dog. I plan to get one when I know I can take care of him or her since dogs need constant attention and care. After my childhood experiences with our family dog and reading Marley and Me, I want the experience of having a dog again.
19. Keep a journal. I’ve tried doing this so many times, and I should keep trying. It’s amazing to go back and read about little things that happened years ago I wouldn’t remember had I not written it down.
20. Be successful and prosper. To do all the things on this list and more, I probably need to be substantially well-off; maybe not as much as my anatomy professor who takes his family on medical trips to Africa or some other underserved place practically every year, but enough to live on (and maybe more).
