My little family and I are sort of at a standstill at the moment... Hubby is about to begin his final year of school and I've been off work to stay at home with our son for a year now. Lately I've been reflecting a lot about our situation and trying to determine what our next step should be (career-wise, family-wise, school-wise, you get the picture). I got to thinking about when I was a child, about 4 years old, and what I wanted to be when I grew up. At that time I wanted to be a country music singer/actress! How funny. I rarely listen to country music now, but I do still enjoy singing. As it turns out, I'm currently a stay at home mom, so I'm definitely not making a living in the entertainment business!

So I put it to you: When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up? What ended up actually happening?

When I was little I always wanted to be a teacher. I worked in preschools in high school and kind of burned myself out. After high school I landed a job as a secretary at a large healthcare corporation. Over the course of 10 years I worked my way up to an analytical position (without a degree). Right around my 30th bday (and my kids were both starting school) I had an early mid-life crisis and realized I wasn't happy in my career. I went back to school and 10 years later I've been teaching 8th grade English for 5 years at my dream job! It's never too late to pursue your dream career!

First I wanted to be a marine biologist (around age 8), but finally realized that not liking swimming was going to hold me back LOL. I really loved studying sharks and whales, though. Then I wanted to do something related to Japan (this was around age 9) but I didn't know what that would be.

My first job out of college was as a software engineer, working closely with a Japanese company to get our US software running on their Japanese machines. The job required me to read/translate Japanese technical manuals and interface electronically with Japanese personnel in Tokyo. I had the pleasure of getting to go on 2 business trips to Japan.

I guess it makes sense to add that I studied Japanese in college and lived there for 6 months during my junior year, so my Japanese skills were pretty good.

ETA: and now I'm a SAHM to 12- and 14-year-old boys.

My mom said that when I was like 5 or 6, I really wanted to be a librarian when I grew up so my house would always have new books for me to read.

I thought libraries were the librarians houses. I think it's because my grandmother would always say we were going to "visit the librarian" whenever we went.

Instead with a late 20's career change, I'm a chemist (chemistry) turned chemist (pharmacist) as my half-Brit husband likes to say.

Used to want to be a dolphin trainer because everyone else wanted to be one too... I'm still in school, so I'm thinking more along the lines of a pediatritian.

I wanted to be a Paleontologist when I was six!

In college I realized I wanted to be a teacher. I sort of had a quarter life crisis recently where I thought about leaving the profession, but I found my way. I'm going to be teaching first grade in the fall (new experience entirely! I've mainly taught older kids) and I feel like it's my first year teaching all over again

from the time I was very little I wanted to be a writer....one summer I wrote a poem every single day...I wrote "research papers" based on what I could find in the encyclopedias (wayyy before internet)...I made my dad drive me two hours to a bigger library so I could research ghosts....once I wrote a whole paper about red squirrels LOL just because I could...I wrote stories...I spied on mom and dad and took copious notes :P

when I finally grew up and went off to college I got a part time job at one of the two local newspapers and excelled at it....after college I worked there full time, eventually getting into the managing editor position...I did a lot of reporting, photography, staff management, layout design, some ad sales, a lot of misc details...and I was doing this before I was even 25

when I was 26 I moved to another city and didn't like the newspapers here (where I live now) and moved on to my next career....working with children...I studied and earned national child education credentials and have been managing a large childcare program for almost 10 years now

i'd still like to have a career in driving heavy equipment and i'd like to be a pilot also...and a nurse...and a meteorologist

I used to want to be a veterinarian for most of my childhood. I loved animals (still do!). But as I got old I knew that physically I would never be able to perform surgery (I have limited mobility in my right arm). So I considered going into law/politics and that was my major for the first year of college. But I decided I didn't like the idea of representing people who could potentially be guilty, or lying about stuff just to get votes (not that all politicians do but). Then I considered vet tech or something similar, but after working in a few vet's offices I realized that sometimes you can love something but not want to be around it all the time. Working with animals all day made me not want to spend as much time with my own pets! So now, 9 years later after that first year of college I'm going to finally go back in the fall for computer science. I'm very good with computers, and I think I'll be able to find a good job with it. Not where I ever thought I'd end up, but I think it's something that fits me and something that I can see myself doing.

When I was young, probably 5 to 7, I wanted to open my own animal shelter. My cousin and I had grand plans and all the steps we thought we needed to open one (of course very few at that age.) Then as I got older, I decided I would just volunteer at the shelters. During middle school I wanted to be a music producer. Music was my life and got me through middle/high school. After I did a job shadow, I realized I had no hope. Then I switched to event planning/concert manager.

I just finished my BA in communication studies and still plan on going into event planning or advertising. Currently I am a signing coordinator, but I want something more fulfilling. I am still looking and if anyone knows of places needing planners of any sort in CNY, let me know :P

I wanted to be a "spacegirl", as in an astronaut, or an ambassador of Czech Republic (I am not from there, but I still wanted to become that).

Now, I am an interpreter, so I missed by a long shot.

LOL I am the third wannabe dolphin trainer/marine biologist on here! Great minds think alike I blame years of watching Free Willy!

Decided in Grade 11 I wanted to be a high school English teacher...and 8 years later, here I am! ...In my head, I just pretend my students are dolphins.

What ambitious ladies! And it's never too late!

As an 8ish year old, whenever I was asked that question, I answered: "A piano teacher". This answer was met with oohs and ahhhs...Don't exactly know why I answered that way....I didn't really want to be a piano teacher...I admired my piano teacher, but my guardian was a nurse...Why didn't I say "nurse?"

Today.....I would answer "Rock Star"!....You guys would LOVE me!!!
(I would need 2 other "Fat Chicks"! Ha)

I wanted to be a neurosurgeon.

Or a writer.

Then a fiber artist.

And a midwife.


Life choices and happenings prevented the first, and thank goodness! Wisdom and a desire for a roof over my head (and not monetizing a hobby and making it something I hated) stopped any English degree aims. I switched to Business.

I actually did become a fiber artist and am still considering certification down the road. But I got married and had babies, so spinning and dyeing professionally has been put on hiatus until I'm no longer raising and educating children.

I wanted to be a midwife as a secret dream when I was a teen. I still think it would be great, especially having run the gamut of births myself! So down the road, if I decide against being a fiber artist or only doing it part time, I may very well apprentice for midwifery. We'll see. Right now I'm a homemaker and home educator - that is satisfying and plenty!

I want to be a professor.

When I was young I wanted to be a writer and an artist. It seems as a professor I can do that and not have to sit around through the 'starving artist' phase.

Plus I love teaching people things I've learned because I love that light-bulb feeling when something finally makes sense. I'd love to help people achieve that.

I always wanted to work with animals since I was a child. First I wanted to be a vet, then a jockey (I think I would have missed the weight cutoff, even as a kid!), then a dog breeder, and it goes on and on. I still have a great love for animals and I'm sure I would have been happy had I ended up working with them in the long run but, my dog an two cats, (and fiancé) will have to fill that void!

Instead I decided to pursue a career as a Nurse, currently shooting for a job in Corrections (cross your fingers that I get the job!) but I think I would really love to do Hospice someday.