THE FUTURE

"What are you gonna do when you grow up?"

If there's one question I abhor, it's that one. I understand that askers of this atrocity are just attempting to make conversation, but first of all, it is none of your business what I am doing in my future, and secondly, do you honestly expect me, with my meager fourteen years of worldy experience, to know what I want to do for the rest of my life?

Lately, everything's been looking forward. We've registered for next year at school, I have an audition for a ballet class coming up, and spring break is on it's way (thank god.) I've been enduring constant fear that my rond-des-jambes aren't turned out enough, struggling through sixty-term Quizlet sets, and encountering nasty looks from school counselors who don't approve of art classes. All for what? To get into a selective, overly difficult ballet class? To get into college, where I will find an even more difficult course load? To be honest, it makes me pretty unenthusiastic for next year and the rest of high school. But we can't let negativity rule our lives, so today I will be sharing some goals and ideas and that make me excited about the future that do not include colleges that won't except me because I didn't take AP Physics.

First of all, I highly doubt will go to college immediately after high school graduation. I'd like to spend time abroad in other countries, drive across the country on a hippie road trip, and visit Canada. I'd like to get a bit of break after twelve years of school before I go back for at least four more. I'd like to get jobs to see what I like and what I don't.

Secondly, I will live in the west when I grow up. In Idaho or Utah or Wyoming, because this is where I belong, and it will always be my home. It makes me really excited to think that someday I'll have my own house that I can paint whatever color I want and redecorate and rearrange whenever I want, and not just my own room, the whole house.

Thirdly, summer is coming in just two months and and you can swing and go on adventures and look at the stars and go camping and sleep outside and start a community garden.

Fourth, maybe someday I will own a tea shop and I can serve scones and sell crafts and donate money to charity and hold fundraisers.

Fifth, tonight I am going to go to bed early.

Sixth, tomorrow morning, I will wake up to this new Pandora radio station that I really like.

Seventh, next weekend, we probably won't have so much homework because it's the end of the quarter.

Eighth, when I am finished with this post I am going to go make lunch and maybe I will make pancakes and defy social norms.

Ninth, I have something exciting coming to this blog very soon:)

So the moral of the story is that even though sometimes you have four finals in one week and sometimes AP Geography makes you cry but also sometimes you get to lie next to your friends and stare at the stars and sometimes you do a really good saut de chat jump. As long as you appreciate all the good things then the bad ones don't seem so terrible.

Queen Svetlana doing a saut de chat (possibly a grand jeté  but it's the same idea)
credit to National Theatre

A literally translated saut de chat - jump of cat
image creds to The Poke