In elementary school I really wanted to work in an aquarium, specifically SeaWorld, because of the big beautiful whales and dolphins. That was until I learned that the animals who are kept there are sad and die, which automatically meant I no longer wanted to work at such a place.

Then middle school came and we all know how those years were. Nothing was really going on inside my head besides straightening my hair everyday, wearing Abercrombie shirts, and impressing boys at recess. 

High school was where the actual ideas started flowing. For awhile I still wanted to do something in marine biology, a little part of me considered being a nurse anesthetist, perhaps flight school would be my path, and physical therapy was a big one for me. But above all, I developed this notion that I just want to be happy when I am older. That was it. I’m sure if you asked anyone if they want to be happy when they’re older they would say yes, but this is what automatically came to mind when I was asked what I wanted to be. Because I didn’t know-and still don’t know-what my future entails, I had to give the best answer that could sum up what I wanted to be when I was older. And that was just to be happy. 

Do I want to be loaded or live a modest lifestyle? Do I want kids or no kids? Do I want to live in a rural or urban area? I don’t have the answers to those questions yet, but I do know that I never want to be stagnant. I really enjoy new environments and experiencing new things that I wouldn’t be able to in any other part of the country or even the world. The only things that I know for sure are that I want to see places I’ve never seen and make a positive difference in those around me.