When I Grow Up, I Want To.....

[November Rain]

I'm sure that every one of us had ideas & dreams of how we wanted to live our adult lives, when we were little girls.

Maybe some dreamed of the big wedding, the little house with the picket fence, 2 kids & a cat. Others may have dreamed of finding out they were really a princess & living in a castle. Others may have dreamed of a certain career; actress, singer, vet, doctor, teacher....

How did you dream of your adult life going? Have any (or all) of your dreams come true? Or has your life taken a completely different path?

[teacup]

When I was growing up in thailand I have dreamed of ...... marrying a tall, dark, and handsome man someday

Instead what I have now is....tall, white, and hansum! But love him to death tho

Edited September 12, 2007 by teacup

[leisurely]

I would say more or less fulfilled my dreams. I always wanted to be a nurse - I am, I wanted to travel to new places - we do, I wanted to smoke like the big boys do - I do and how I regret that dream . the bits of my life that weren't part of my dream are my husband and daughters. I wouldn't change it for the world now though. I do think that your dreams change over time and become more mature. One of my daughters wants to work the board that tells traffic when to start and stop . I would like to think she has bigger dreams than that, but who am I to piss on her fire?

[sbk]

When I was a girl I loved Gilligans Island and dreamed of living on a small tropical island

I wanted to be an archaeologist too, but never realized that dream.

[teacup]

Well my little 7 yrs old niece... who absolutely loves those thai little hotdogs.... says when she grows up she wants to work with the ever famous "BangkokHam company"

imagine that!

[legag]

Ahh, way back girly childhood.

As I remember I had always wanted to be a news reporter. Be on the tv at 8pm, dressed, make-up, everyone watches me LIVE, the whole country. And look what I have become!?! way far from tv. LOL. I think I had that dream until hit the sweet 15, life turning-point crisis. Today, I can't see myself being in that box and not even wanna be seen and 'judged'.

Sometimes dream comes true, sometimes reality and life play us in funny way but it's good to have dream and persue, even great if it comes true or you get what you have dreamed of.

Keep dreaming - ahh, daydreaming count?

[kat]

No, but I'm still working on my dreams. I'm still dreaming.

Some dreams I've fulfilled, like world travel, living in other cultures, making friends from around the world, getting an education, seeing world class mountains and beautiful oceans. But, I'm only a little ways down the list.

[rcalsop]

I have put ticks in so many of my childhood dreams and plans some small ,some big , some about travel and things to do , some about love and realation ships and family , I now find the few boxes left to tick are material or money ones or dreams for my kids .

What have I learnt ? it is great achieving the dreams or goals but it is also strangely dissapointing once it is achieved it is like normality and somehow de valued.

Actually having and chasing the dream is almost better than achieving it , also a genuine shared dream is better than just your own dream the journey is better than the destination ???.

Perhaps what I once said to the Korean chairman of a large conglomerate after many single malt whiskys one night was the correct...He told me his dream was to plant 1 million trees before he died ,he asked me what I thought, and I replied plant 999,999 and hold off on the last one although said in something of a drunken haze I realised the next morning I had told myself an fairly profound truth.

[legag]

But, I'm only a little ways down the list.

Keep on following your dreams! The list could be short or long, even empty once your dreams all have come true. Even not we know we have tried and still it gives you a heart of a dreamer.

[Nienke]

When I was 12 I started working in weekends and holidays at a cat and dog boarding kennel. By the time I was 14 I could run it, but was legally too young. When I was 15 I moved in there. Though, my parents didn't think this would be the ultimate job for me, so I ended up studying something else. Due to this study I moved to Chiang Mai, where I ended up running my own cat and dog boarding kennel.

So yes, in a way my dream came true.

Nienke

[kat]

... although said in something of a drunken haze I realised the next morning I had told myself an fairly profound truth.

I love that you discovered a profound truth in a druken haze If you want to be really wise, drink more

But, I'm only a little ways down the list.

Keep on following your dreams! The list could be short or long, even empty once your dreams all have come true. Even not we know we have tried and still it gives you a heart of a dreamer.

Thanks legag. Yes, a heart of a dreamer would be nice, with the discipline of a doer. I need both skills now.

[DirkGently]

When I was young i wanted to be a stuntman. I think I watched far too much 'Fall Guy' as a kid. I have since broken a few bones and was happy I didn't take it up.

During Job Advice week, I insisted tht I wanted to be an Astronaught. Aimed a little high there.

In my teens I wanted to travel and find myself lost. I attribute that to my mother taking me to markets in France and village events in Spain when I was 10 or 11.

I have realised that with 22 countries under my belt.

[seville]

First I wanted to be an actress or singer and played around a bit at school and into my twenties. I always wanted to live on a tropical Island like Swiss Family Robinson. Got that one, pretty much nailed down.

Worked in music for about 10 years, so got my fix there.

Dreams do change. I for years wanted to get married and have kids. I'll take the married with the perfect guy for me, but the kids part....... no way.

I have no regrets and I'm in my early 40's so have lots of time for more dreams and time to seek them out. Right now I'm working on the small little house in Thailand with my partner and working hard, but not too hard dream. One step at a time.

[Patsycat]

If i could do it again i would be November Rain cos she has and has gone through crap and back and still seems to pop up, whatever, and wish i was as wonderful as her and as strong. Big cheers. And i shall come and see you next year. You Are Strong.

[November Rain]

Aaaahh, Patsy. That's so nice. Thank you (you been on the voddie again? :D) What a lovely thing to say!

Actually, I'm not strong, I'm just an idiot who doesn't know her limitations & bites-off-more-than-she-can-chew-but-manages-to-force-it-down-anyway.

In answer to my own OP, my life bears no real resemblance to any of my childhood dreams (though maybe being involved with animals is one). I have the sort of life where I make one decision & 100 other things come from it like ripples on water; most of my life choices haven't been actual conscious decisions. Not complaining though. I'm living in a country that I love, with a little boy that I cherish and an interesting & rewarding "job". I just hope I can continue with it all.

[Jet Gorgon]

I wanted to be a ballerina -- even won the City Cup when I was 11. No money for proper school, so I wanted to be a hockey player. But I was too little. Then I wanted to be a painter. Ended up being a runaway hippie. Everything just kinda happened after that. Managed to get into uni, went to China to study and ended up at an investment bank. Dumped all that to paint and write and live near the beach. Now, I'm searching again. It's been fun so far, but like NR and others, always mountains to surpass, too. Maybe that's why I hate living near mountains.

[khall64au]

I like mountains Jet, as long as they're near the sea...

Here's a short piece I wrote a few years back - for no particular reason:

Flipping through mother’s photo album on a rare visit home, there I was shyly glancing back at me, resplendently innocent in a gorgeous white wedding gown. My shoulder length veil perched atop upswept bun, a strand of luminous pearls gracing my cygnet neck. I was a fairy princess bride and could hear the hooves of my brave knight's white stallion, pounding through the mystical forest, ever faster, so as not to be late for this special moment in his history - Our wedding day.

You can see it all over my sweet-kid face on this ancient photographic print. Kneeling at my side, my five year-old brother cast magic spells with a star tipped wand, dressed for the occasion in his very best wizard smock and pointy hat. We were off to a fancy dress party.

Aside from my early bridal fitting, there was the perfectly coiffured bride doll I received for Christmas that year. She was brunette like me. Bride Doll was a graceful, classic plastic beauty, with the most splendid white dress and veil that any little girl would love to wear on her wedding day. I adored that doll. This was the 1960s, when girls were still expected to grow up, find Mr Right, get married and have babies while still in their twenties — just like Mum. Power suits were still a figment of the universe but, at the same time, I also had a thing going with my rebel Barbie doll.

Ps. Barbie won - I divorced Ken!

Postscript - the author's favourite subject in primary scool was 'Comprehension'. She grew up to become a journalist and lives on Fantasy Island - otherwise known as Phuket, Thailand...... & her little brother is a kick ass body-builder!

[Ave]

I've always taken very little and slow steps but I ended up doing better and got further than I thought I would. It amazes me to be able to state this after so much grief and standstills.

[wileycoyote]

When I was 5 ,I wanted to be a postman.

Later ,I became afraid of dogs and gave up on the idea!

Wiley Coyote

[girlx]

i wanted to be a parapsycologist since i was really little, which i didn't really become. but i also wanted to be a world traveller, and i did. never thought about a husband and kids, all that. probably won't do those things because i like my freedom. now i write which i always won awards for as a kid. also take care of a lot of animals, like i did when i was a kid. otherwise, considering where i should be in life given the circumstances, i am doing really well.

[Ave]

When I was 5 ,I wanted to be a postman.

Later ,I became afraid of dogs and gave up on the idea!

Wiley Coyote

Nice 1!! What have you ended up doing then?

Ok, listen to this one..I'm not joking: Once I met an impressive drummer who was born with only a few fingers and very short arms. I was amazed! I guess that if we really want something we just have to work at it until we get it..

[AlexLah]

I had no idea when I was young and now I am (relatively) old, I still have no idea.

Nah, maybe one idea I have but not sure if I can get a WP for it.

Selling coconuts on the beach of a deserted island...........

[RueFang]

I had a lifelong dream to be a National Park Ranger! Always loved being in the forest and hearing the sounds of nature. Then it turned into environmental conservationist, got my Environmental Science degree, lived another dream of travelling the world and then it all went to h3ll (or should I say heaven!) when on the last leg of my round the world trip I fell in love and never went back home! Occasionally I'll be a bit sad knowing that I'll never be a park ranger but now I just have new dreams and actually feel like I am living in a dream

[Goinghomesoon]

I had so many dreams but coming from a poor background (my family were the Aussie equivalent of Isaan rice farmers ) meant I accepted early on that there wasn't much chance of achieving them. I left school early and took a job, any job, just to survive. I progressed up the food chain from office junior, doing everyone's filing and filling the photocopier with toner and paper. Somewhere along the way I discovered that I loved one particular aspect of my job that involved helping people. I became a specialist in that area and am now on my third overseas expat package. Sometimes dreams are what you make them, not what you initially imagine they might be.

[Patsycat]

NR - yes when i made the comment i had been on the voddie but i meant every word!!!!

[fletchsmile]

I've read this post a few times. But to be honest I can't remember many strong dreams from my childhood. I remember the odd prayer at primary school saying "please god make such a such a girl come to my birthday party" or "please god can I marry xyz when I grow up". Some people would say I was perhaps still like that in my 30's in Thailand . In the last few years I've had the right girl at my birthday party each year though, and then we did get married. So I guess my dreams came true.

One reason for not having any really concrete childhood dreams I think, is that as a kid I used to live more for the moment. I was happy and felt like I wanted things to be like they were forever, and not to change. As I've got older I've tended to plan ahead/reflect back more and dream or philosophize more. I think that can be overdone tho', and perhaps living in the moment and just being happy is closer to the real key.

Over the weekend we went to see Stardust. I thought it was a great movie. Yes a kid's fairy tale to an extent, but some good points in there, funny at times, and an excellent performance from Robert de Niro. It was a good reminder about life, and that I already have my dream, and my star, as well as our own little bit of stardust which arrived last year - so no need to chase them. It's useful to have a small reminder now and again, although as a kid I never seemed to need it. I also know I wouldn't have enjoyed the movie and dream so much without the lovely lady sat beside me. So I guess it works on a few levels.

As for the bit about growing up, I'm still leaving that for later

Edited October 15, 2007 by fletchthai68

[MrSquigle]

I wanted to stop the over population of the earth...so I climbed back in