Looking Ahead, Dreams Realized

I have always been the person with clear intentions and I have always been dedicated to achieving my dreams. Today, however, as I was reading the last few pages of Franny and Zooey, it occurred to me that I have actually attained the last of my predetermined ambitions.

In my life, I have had three main driving goals. They are as follows:

1. To be a professional equestrian
2. To help kids "that don't have good mommies and daddies" (as my 8-year-old self put it)
3. To join the Peace Corps

Well, folks, it seems that I have managed to bring them all to fruition.

In 2002, I joined the ranks of the professional hunter/jumpers (horseback riders that jump over fences, for those of you that don't understand the jargon). In 2007, I started working for a nonprofit organization that was dedicated to child abuse prevention and parent education. And, just seven months ago, I came to Botswana with the Peace Corps. Wow. I did it!

This realization is marked with a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of bewilderment. The last of the things I had thought would take me a lifetime to fulfill will be achieved by the time I'm thirty. Now I am left to ponder a few "simple" questions: What's next?, What do I want to do with my life now?, What are my new dreams? and What will make me happy in the next thirty years? For now, I have no idea.