Where Will Life Take Me?

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What in the World will I do Next?

As my journey through Europe is coming to a close, I'm getting anxious. I haven't even left and I'm already trying get to back. And for some reason, I just cannot seem to follow the life plan that I had laid out for myself two years ago. I've changed. My goals have changed. And my life has changed. So what will I do next? 


Let's see, if I followed my life plan I would have been teaching for two years now. Maybe I'd be dating someone. Who knows. Apparently that's what you do. I would be a productive member of society. I would be working and saving for retirement. But I don't plan on doing any of that in the near future. No way. Now I'm a total travel addict trying to find my next fix. Working for the same company for more than two years not only scares me, it doesn't interest me one bit. Bless those people who can do that. I don't think I'm built for that endurance any longer.
Right now I'm finding ways to try new sausages in new cities
Sausage Lunch, Vienna
I'm really hoping that this lack of passion for working in the US and settling down is just a phase. I never thought that I would not want to teach.  That's been my goal for the last eight years and now I squirm when I think of teaching. So now I'm looking at other options. Some people have said I could write a book, but I think I need more experience before writing a book. That means I have to travel more. Oh darn! But ideas from my younger days are also floating around in my noncommittal head. I obviously can't be a horse, so I'll cross that off the list, and being a horse trainer is too expensive (and you can never travel) so that's off the list too. But there's another idea out there, which is, brace yourself family, being a tattoo artist. Yep, that came out of left field didn't it. I've always loved tattoos and since I was 16 that was the coolest job I could think and that I wouldn't mind doing. And you can travel with that career so why not? Or I just go to grad school and stall for two more years and maybe I'll finally conform to society. But that doesn't mean that I'll go to grad school in the US. Why would I do that?
Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna

 But I've come to realize that I've put all this pressure on myself to become a "productive" member of society based off of these American standards. We measure success based off of a stable career and how much money we make and if we get married and have kids. Sure all of that is great and I would love to be driven like that. But I'm not. And everyone is wired differently. Instead I think for me, success is being happy with what I'm doing and making enough money to survive and keep up those expensive habits. I don't think one lifestyle is better than others, just one works better for different personalities. And right now, the nomadic lifestyle works for me.

So where will I be next? Well I know that August 20th I will be back in the US. I will be a substitute teacher.  I think that might be the only job where I won't rip my hair out right now. And hopefully I will keep on traveling. But the plan for next year is to recharge and plan my new adventure, whatever that may be. 

Mimi is a full time student, part time nanny, and occaisional travel blogger who hopes to inspire others to step outside of their comfort zone and experience new cultures through travel.

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