.:Realization:.

I've had an epiphany. It may not seem like such a big deal, but once you find a way to make a dream work, it's a pretty big deal to you.

Backing up a few... well, it starts a few years ago, but I won't go back that far. Education has always been an integral part of my life. After being in school for fifteen years, you think I would know what direction I want my life to go, but every time I think I've figured it out, I dread the years ahead of me. There are two things I know for sure:

1. I am NOT going to have a desk job where I work in a cubicle for forty plus hours a week for the rest of my life.

2. I am going to travel the world. I don't care if I have to sleep in hostels, on dirt floors or in a car - I've done it before and the experiences I've had outweigh any expense I've paid. 

I remember thinking as I stepped onto campus for the first time, "This is where my life begins." I said goodbye to living comfortably in my childhood home, and traded it for a roommate, hours upon hours of reading and homework, five to six hours of sleep every weeknight - sometimes less, and trying to balance good grades with a social life and sanity. Well, semesters passed with most of my friends doing internships, starting their programs and getting married, but I had only flipped majors a few times and hadn't even started a program in the two and a half years I've been here (which, I've come to find out, isn't that uncommon for undergrads). Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed my college experience as much as the next girl, but the decision to be locked in a program that I might not even like for at least two years was terrifying. 

Choosing a major was invading my thoughts, and although I've tested and researched many different ones, I've never felt at ease. 

This is where the whole point of this comes into play. A few weeks ago, I was talking with my mom, and I expressed the concerns I had. She asked if I had ever thought about Journalism, and I brushed it aside because I don't want to report on politics, crime, or any sort of stories that go into the news nowadays. To be honest, being a journalist has crossed my mind a time or two, but I always convinced myself that I wasn't a good enough writer, so I'd never looked into it. Why I thought I could manage a business better than I could write is beyond me, but I looked into it.

The more I read about Journalism, the more I like how it fits with the type of career I want to have. No, I still would rather not write for the news, but I CAN write. And I would be MORE than happy to write for a travel magazine. I've always been good at keeping a journal, so why not apply myself to something I already do - and LIKE to do, for that matter?

Ironic how sometimes you end up wanting to do something you thought you'd NEVER want to do.