What do you want to be when you grow up?

Is it me, or does that question seem to follow us to our death bed? Here I am 28 years old, I'm going to be 29 this year and I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. Oh I have my ideas, my dreams, my fairy tales, and then... well then there is reality. I have been in school for what seems like a lifetime. Once I finish one level of education, I'm told I need to move on to the next to ever amount to anything. I'm starting to wonder if I'll die an overly educated woman with 15 cats because at 35 she gave up on trying to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, and settled for cat lady. Some days I sit and drink a nice toasty beverage on my back porch, and imagine that I'm in a cafe in France, watching cultured people walk by in an array of overly priced fabrics. The smell of warm croissants fill my nose and all around me the sound of beautiful 'Oui Oui's' romances the air. Ahh... This is the life. Suddenly a beautiful stranger sits in front of me, his hair is being gently tousled by the cool breeze, his skin perfect, his smile radiant.  In a thick and luscious accent he says, "So tell me Mon Ami, What do you want to be when you grow up?" POOF! In a cloud of abrupt smoke I'm sent spiraling right back to my porch staring at a luke warm cup of 'toasty' drink.

REALLY?!?! REALLY?!?! The question haunts my dreams too!! Argh! So when do we know what we want to do with our lives? Is it after we spent thousands of dollars on education that we realize okay I need to just do whatever to pay back my loans? Do we wait to get a sign in a dream? Or hear a voice from God?

Do we choose a career for money or love? What about comfort level? Or being easily accessible? When do we stop chasing ideas and settle into a cozy grown up job?

Or maybe a better question is when are we considered grown up? Because technically I may have a few years left to figure all this out!

:)