1. Motherhood. Just to be a mommy. I used to watch my mom (and later, my stepmom as well) taking care of my younger siblings, and it just looked so much fun to get to feed a baby, and change them, and dress them, and play with them, and push them around in a stroller, and... well, you see where I'm going with this. I have two beautiful boys, and although its not all fun-and-games the way I had imagined (how did I ever WANT to change a diaper?!) motherhood is the most rewarding thing I've ever had, and I am so proud to be a mommy.
2. Love. I wanted to meet someone and have that "love at first sight." I wanted someone to love me, despite my flaws. I wanted to get married and start a life together with the man of my dreams. And I got it all. I met my husband, and fell in love with him the moment I laid eyes on him. He loves me, and doesn't even see the "flaws" I claim to have. We have been married for six years (this April).
3. Stay-at-home career. Most kids dream of not having to work at all. Just being rich and staying home all the time. I dreamed about staying home, but only because I wanted to be just like my mothers were. I wanted to be a stay at home mom and housewife. It's an under-appreciated career field, and monetarily it's also an underpaid one, but from a sentimental standpoint, it's the best job available. I get to have my house exactly the way I want it, I get to raise my kids myself and not have to worry about what goes on in a daycare, and -- best of all -- I'm the boss! I get paid in dirty diapers, toys underfoot, DVDs strewn across the living room, clean dishes back in the sink, dog food in my cup of tea, and twenty dollars worth of missing pacifiers that couldn't be found with an entire search party. Yet somehow, I can honestly tell you that this is the most rewarding job in the world, and I love it.
4. Living in the Country. I grew up in a city life. Not the kind of big-time city, with skyscrapers and close-knit apartment buildings and taxis everywhere, but the kind with neighborhoods and 600-student high school graduating classes, where the most exotic pet was a gecko, or the chickens the neighbor kept in his yard. I wanted wide open spaces, with green fields, farm animals, tractors, dirt roads, and people on horseback. Life threw me right into the arms of a country cowboy, and we're 30 minutes from the nearest Wal-Mart or McDonald's, living off a gravel road with wide open spaces, complete with natural wildlife. It's beautiful.
5. Animals. I loved thinking about having all sorts of random animals. I wanted a monkey, a milk cow, a cockatoo, a horse... I'm sure there were some other exotic animals I wanted as well. I haven't had a monkey (and I doubt I ever will), but a cockatoo has been considered as an animal we would like to have one day, when the kids are a bit older. Apart from that, we have had it all. Goats, pheasants, peacocks, guineas, chickens, cows, horses, a llama, dogs, cats, lizards, tarantulas, hamsters, household birds (cockatiels, finches, parrots), fish, rabbits, pigs... I feel like I'm missing something... oh right, of course. Ferrets and mice. We dont have all of these animals at the moment, but we do have a few dogs and cats, fish, a variety of birds, and a horse and llama. Goats will be returning to us in the near future, and possibly a hog.
6. Books. I grew up with my nose in a book. I dreamed of owning my own library, with every book I could ever want. I don't actually own a library, but the next best thing. Over three full bookshelves stacked with incredible books. And not just the science fiction and fantasy that I love so much, but also children's books, do-it-yourself books, dictionaries, books to learn foreign languages, non-fiction resource books that teach us about our hobbies and helpful skills (including skinning and tanning, wildlife survival guides, how to build a computer, the inner workings of a truck engine, and even math courses!). And aren't I the lucky one; my husband is constantly buying me more books, and he knows exactly the kind of books to buy me! I might just own a small library one day... possibly a full wall of nothing but books!
7. Video Games. When I was younger, I got hooked on video games (much like most kids of today). They were a huge part of my childhood; some of my favorite memories were of playing games, or watching others play, on the older systems. So I wanted to keep games in my life, no matter what. When I got married, my husband helped me start a collection of nearly every game system created (we're missing PS3, PSP, and the odd ones like Commodore 64). We also have an extensive game collection, and we settle down in the evenings with a computer game that we play online together. It means a lot to me that video games are still in my life, and that its something I can share with my hubby.
8. Travel. I always wanted to go all over the world. I really just wanted to be able to say I've been to all 50 states and went out of the country at some point. My husband loves to go camping and sight-seeing, and he has a job that pays well enough to support this hobby. So we plan a trip each year to stay at different national or state parks across the country, and we hope that one day we can even travel Europe.
9. Collections and hobbies. I was a pretty boring kid, honestly. I didn't really have anything I did or collected, I wasn't involved in after-school programs or clubs. I hoped that one day I would collect something, or have some interesting hobby or skill that I could be proud of. Well, I collect my video game systems, and I have actually acquired a few skills that I never would have imagined myself getting into. I knit and crochet, and I skin and tan animal furs. And I'm proud of everything I make.
10. Real friends. Naturally, growing up and moving around a lot, I went through a lot of friends. I got really good at learning how to make quick friends, but bad at learning how to make long-lasting friendships. And of course you get into high school and all the drama that goes with it. I just wanted to have one friend... just one... that I could turn to no matter what, and know that they would be there for me for years to come, and that I could be there for as well. Life gave me this in more ways than I could ask for when I met my husband, and again with each child I had. In addition to the friendship and bond I have with my family, I have four friends that I have to give a special "shout out" to at this point, because they are exactly what I wanted when I dreamed of having "real" friends.
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| Shannon: She has been in my life since Kindergarten, when our mothers used to take us to school together. We lost track of each other when we moved, and were reunited in High School. We may not live in the same state, or even in the same time zone, but I know that she will be in my life for the rest of it. She's my forever friend. =) |
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| Terry: We grew up together, thanks to our dads. I swear he is the guy version of me exactly; our ipods even match up, down to almost every odd, off-the-wall abnormal song. He's been one of the few people I could trust with just about anything, no matter how stupid or weak it made me seem. |
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| Dustin: We might not have known each other very long, but he's such an amazing friend. I met him on the internet, playing World of Warcraft, and he hangs out with me and the hubby quite often. He's very protective, like the older brother I never had (even though I'm actually a few years older than him!). |
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| Chris: He's my husband's best friend, and I've known him for four years now, long enough that he has become one of my best friends as well. He's "Uncle Chris" to the kids, and one of the few people I really trust. |
Well, here's to hoping plenty more of my childhood dreams come true one day. Where is my dream house, with the secret room behind the moving bookshelf, and the indoor pool with a secret underwater passageway that comes up in my secret room?! And candy dispensers on the wall by the pool table, with a Jukebox?! ...maybe I'll have better luck on the childhood dream to learn Italian. ;)
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