Recently, for an assignment in my Career Planning Seminar, I was asked to come up with a list of nine different careers I would pursue if I had nine lives and money was no object. I thought this exercise was a little silly. Of course, money was an object. A girl has got to make a living, you know? And especially me because I have expensive shopping habits. However, I bowed my head to knowledge of my professor and played along. In no particular order, here are the nine different lives I could potentially lead.
Life One: Teach English as a second language in a Spanish-speaking country
There is a special place in my heart for the Spanish language and the Spanish culture. I am fluent in the language and to be able to live alongside locals would be an incredible opportunity. There is also immense satisfaction in seeing the progress people can make when they apply themselves to learning new things, especially something as difficult as the English language. Plus, being an English major, it makes sense as a potential career path.
Life Two: Environmental Lawyer
Who would not want to lead the life of Marshall Eriksen! I took an AP Environmental Science class my senior year of high school and learned just how destructive we as the human race collectively have been to the environment. It is easy to spot the issues and come up with a plan to rectify the situation. What is difficult is implementing wide scale change. Wide scale change general starts with lawmaking. Although bureaucratic red tape is not my favorite, if I thought I could make a significant difference in the world it would be worth it.
Life Three: Journalist
A life goal would be to travel the world. The very first occupation that came to mind that would afford me the opportunity to do that was to be a journalist. I could report on world events or be the person they send to interview world leaders. Or I could travel and write about the cities to go to and how to do it on a budget. As long as I could travel and write I would be perfectly happy.
Life Four: Wine Maker
Why did I not consider this when I was applying to college? Studying viticulture at Cal Poly SLO or UC Davis would have been great. The sip and spit rule would have killed the vibe a little bit but not too much. Wine vineyards have a special sort of magic to them. I would get to play the part of both farmer and chemist creating something that everyone can enjoy. I see no drawbacks when it comes to living the life of a wine maker!
Life Five: Writer
If I could go visit beautiful places or sit in eclectic coffee shops and fully immerse myself in my writing, I would be my happiest. To completely lose myself in a story and produce some great work of fiction would be the ultimate dream. I have a big interest in historical fiction, so doing the research on certain time periods and visiting the places I would be writing about would be a thrill.
Life Six: Food Critic
Who does not love food? Imagine getting paid to go to amazing restaurants to get wined and dined then only have to critic service you received. It would be phenomenal. I am not sure I have a refined enough pallet or a particular desire to rip restaurants apart with my words. However, I would love to eat at Michelin star rated places and get paid for it.
Life Seven: Public Relations for the San Francisco Giants
I love baseball and I love my San Francisco Giants. To be able to manage their public brand and press releases would be so fun! I am sure there would be a few divas on the team that might attempt to make my life difficult in some way, shape, or form. Nonetheless, I am sure my take-no-shit attitude can handle it.
Life Eight: Middle English Literature Scholar
This is my version of geeking out. I am an English major and my absolute favorite literary period is Middle English. It gave us great works like "Le Morte d' Arthur" by Sir Thomas Mallory. The fantastic story of the love triangle between King Arthur, Guinervere, and Sir Lancelot riddled with chivalry and classic heroism. It is so fascinating to me. Also, of course, "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffery Chaucer. If you have seen the movie “The Knight’s Tale” with Heath Ledger, then, yes, it is a spin off of the literary classic work and, yes, it was also the epitome of my geek career when I was able to connect those dots. There is just so much that literature from this time period can teach its readers that it is endlessly fascinating.
Life Nine: Race car driver
In the words of Ricky Bobby, “I wanna go fast”. There is no thrill greater than being behind the wheel at high speed making turns and keeping everyone else in your rear view. I like cars, I like speed, and I think Danica Patrick is a bad-ass so therefore sign me up. The moment I realized I had a knack for driving was when I beat my dad, my two uncles, my grandpa, and my male cousin go kart racing. Ever since then, I have decided that if all else fails in life, I can always make left turns at high speed in an awesome car and get paid for it.
What I learned from this exercise is that when you remove money from the picture, you find your true passions. I encourage everyone to try this exercise for themselves and to see if current their path is the one they really want to be leading. Or if you have yet to decide a path maybe this will help you accomplish just that. It would be a shame to go through life earning money but not really living out you dreams. That is the mistake that a lot of people make. Pursue your passion and live out your dreams. Happiness is a lot more valuable than money.
