Right Quick

Hey everyone (no one?). Sorry it's been roughly forever. I'm in crunch time with a zillion papers, quizzes/tests and even an exam or two. Aren't those supposed to wait until finals time, people? Oh well.

So hey, I turn 21 ridiculously soon. I have no idea if I will feel any different or more awesome, as I haven't ever really felt a huge change come with officially turning a year older in the past. Then again, I have a pretty wicked habit of lying about my age (in social situations only, of course). So I suppose we'll see when we get there.

I haven't really been this excited to go home and spend time with my dad and sister in...well, possibly my entire college career. I think it's mostly due to my mom being gone for such an extended period of time; I feel like maybe that's what's subconsciously making the three of us emotionally closer. I'm just glad my mom's been able to keep in contact with us at least periodically. She comes home for a (very) short winter holiday break, but then she's back out until September. I don't have anything negative to say about it, though, because the woman loves her job, is clearly pretty much amazing at it, and the assignment will do wonders for her resume/career.

I think I'll leave this post off on that note. In the recent past, a friend of mine had the opportunity to make the biggest career move of her life, almost double what she's making now and an entry on her resume for which about 95% of all people in her career field would skull-stomp. The thing is, she'd have to leave the place she's lived her entire life (I think she's been out of the country once or twice, but has never not lived within a few hours of the house she grew up in) and the people with whom she's spent that entire life.

She's not taking the position, even though it's exactly what she wants in life.

That completely blows my mind. I could never imagine giving up anything that could boost my career; especially not just so that I could stay with mommy and daddy and stay with a girlfriend (boyfriend in her situation) who could easily move anywhere with the career she's chosen.

I look back on all of that and realize how lucky I am - twisted as it may be - that I grew up in a household that valued education and getting a good career above pretty much all else. Sure, my family's not close and we're one of the pinnacle definitions of dysfunctional. But I know for a fact that when my parents are in their mid-to-late-60s, they won't care if/that neither my sister nor I are within even driving range. I know what will make them the happiest and most proud is when they have a civil rights lawyer/Hill lobbyist and a registered and board-certified OB/GYN as their two legacies, they will finally be able to feel 100% proud of all the sweat, tears and money they poured into us for what will collectively have been around 30 years.

It is when I come across situations like these that I realize how lucky I am to have the parents, sister and girlfriend that I have right now. My mother and father, though it has admittedly taken them a bit longer than I'd originally hoped, couldn't be prouder of the woman I've become and the career path I've chosen for myself (even though my mom secretly hopes I decide to stick with law school and abandon lobbying - but she knows it's a fat chance). My sister is more supportive of me in every single activity in which I participate and decision I make for myself than I am, usually. I'm most pleased and lucky that I am currently involved with someone who views the future - namely her career, but also some social options too - with the same prioritization that I do.

For anyone who might be reading this - how do you feel about this sort of thing? I'm curious to see how other people view and rank their priorities in life. Does it always have to be dream job or dream life, or can there be a happy medium? Am I the only one who considers one of the highest markers of a happy life to be having a career for which one would do anything or go anywhere?