We all have a five-year plan, right? Some of us may have an eight-year plan or a 10-year plan. Some of us may only have a one-year plan or a three-year plan. It's possible you only have a one day plan. The point is that you have a vision for how you imagine your life turning out. Don't you?

Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around faraway lands, daring sword fights, magic spells and princes coming to whisk me off my feet. Those perceptions, coupled with growing up during the age and reign of Cory and Topanga gave me an idea of how my love life was supposed to work. Likewise, being raised in the family I was born into, attending the schools I did, and the occupations my parents have gave me a perception of how the rest of my life was supposed to go.

I was supposed to go to a "good" college. I did. I attended Villanova University. It was the best decision I ever made. I embarked on lifelong friendships while there and fostered my passion in theater while cultivating my interest in English literature and political science.

I had a "come to Jesus" moment during my sophomore year, actually.

Let me backtrack for a bit to explain. Both of my parents are (highly successful) lawyers. I wanted to be a lawyer from the time I was 10 years old and spend the day in my mom's office writing a mock agreement for my school while my mom did real law. When I was that age I wanted to be like Matlock. I thought that's what the law was like. I grew up and went to a summer trial advocacy program at Columbia University and realized that what Matlock did was not as much practicing law as it was solving murders under the guide of being a defense attorney. I still wanted to be a lawyer. My plan going into college was to major in political science and communication. Perfect stepping stones to law school right?

Well, somewhere in the middle of my upper level required English course (it was an American drama course) I realized how much I love literature and I realized that I could actually study something in college that I loved instead of studying something that would lead to a career.

I kept political science but I swapped English for communications. Let me pause for a minute to say that I know there are a lot of people in this world who think that majoring in English is useless. To them, I can only say that the skills of deep, thoughtful and critical analysis, combined with an in-depth and complete understanding and knowledge of proper grammar is a skill set that can be applied to any job. We need people who investigate beyond the surface of what is written so that we can compose creative and successful rebuttals as well as having the security of knowing that there is someone on a staff who can be analytical in evaluating company policies, written arguments and even visual imagery. Obviously English isn't the only major that accomplishes this, but with the deterioration of the English language in the age of emoticons, abbreviations and slang, it's nice to know what there are still people who can put a sentence together.

All of this was a roundabout way of saying that at age 19, I had already experienced a dent in my perceptions of the way my life was supposed to go. It hadn't occurred to me to study something that I love and am passionate about because I couldn't see how it would lead me to my goal.

After college, my perceptions dictated that I get a good job. Well, here's where things get tricky. I wanted to do everything. I had to pick something. I worked for a year dabbling in television production and doing communication centered volunteer work for my high school alma mater. I was listless and bored and I didn't really like what I was doing. So I decided to go to graduate school.

But wait a minute, I was on the path to law school right? What happened to that? Well, I guess my parents happened. They were operating under a perception as much as I was. They thought that to me, law school was a fall back instead of something I was truly passionate about. I failed in communicating effectively with them.

If you've been paying attention you know that I mentioned a passion for theater a few paragraphs ago. I've loved it all my life. I was president of my high school drama club, I was president of the undergraduate theatrical society at Villanova. I love theater. So I went to graduate school for theater. It was something I've always been passionate about and that was what my parents seemed to want for me so it's what I did.

Don't get me wrong. I adored my time in graduate school. Ultimately, I realized that a career in theater is not what I want. My personality is not one that is good with unpredictability or chaos. There's a lot of that in theater—especially since there are so few permanent full time jobs in the field.

After graduate school I moved onto another passion: Disney. I worked for them on and off for two years in many different capacities. They're a great company. I have amazing friends at Disney. I enjoy Florida. So I've finally found my niche, right?

Wrong. Lately, my mind has been circling back to law school more and more. I even went to a career counselor because I was so confused about what I wanted. After a lot of talking and aptitude tests, I realized that I will always regret not applying to law school.

The funny things about perceptions is that they're dropped into our laps. They're wrapped up in pretty paper and bows and we embrace them because we think they're what's best for us. Perceptions are like drugs in a lot of ways. We spend our lives chasing the high we get when one of our perceptions actually come true. When we fail at attaining our perceptions, we feel bulldozed, as if we're in withdrawal.

Going forward, I still have perceptions dancing through my head. Meeting the man of my dreams, falling in love, my wedding, what my law career should be. I'm working to let go of them but it doesn't happen all at once.

The only item on my five year plan is personal growth. I hope that when I am 32 I can look back and say that it's all been worth it. The turmoil that comprised most of my 20's has passed and I have adjusted well into the woman I am. You can only fight against what you truly think, believe and feel for so long.

Life is about the journey. I know that's a cliche but it's true. When I think about the six years of my life I've "lost" since graduating college I realize that I didn't lose anything. I gained a lot of life experience, met a lot of amazing people, fostered a lot of new friendships and learned invaluable lessons about myself. I will bring a lot of real world experience and increased awareness into my future endeavors. My career will be better for it.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that my journey since college has given me the tools I need to succeed in law school and beyond. I hope that my future self is as cognizant of perceptions as I am and that she doesn't fall into the trap of embracing them. It's my hope for all of you reading this, as well.