Quarter Life Crisis

Now, I never even thought of this term before John Mayer made it popular. And even then, I thought to myself, who the heck goes through a quarter life crisis? Doesn't everyone know what they want to do by the time they're 25? I know I did. I have known what career I wanted to go into at the age of 5. And I acheived this goal at the age of 22 (well 20 if you count internships). But now, at the ripe age of 24.67, I have come to realize that I am going through a quarter life crisis. I love dolphins. I love getting to work with them in the open water, and without the public around. It is fantastic! I hate that I have been at my job a year and 9 months, and have not been promoted. I hate that I feel like a glorified intern. And I hate that my job pays extremely crappy. So I have decided to look for a new career. I have had a lot of good ideas about where I want to go from here. And each one I have thoroughly looked into. Some plans have lasted longer than others. But here is the rundown:

• Child Therapist

This one definitely has its upsides. One, I already have my Bachelor's in Psychology, with a minor in Child Development!! So I went ahead and spent the 100 some odd dollars on some study books for the GRE. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that starting out, I probably wouldn't be working with kids. I would have to work with adults, and then kids later. And do I really want to sit and listen to people's problems all day long? The answer to that is no. So then I thought....

• Deaf Ed Teacher

Again, I already have a background in Child Development, as well as ASL! I thought this was perfect for me! I even visited a private school for only deaf children, and I loved it. However, there are only 2 of these private deaf schools in California. And I am well aware that Thomas will definitely be the bread winner in our household. So I can't justify only wanting to work at 2 places in California, when Thomas could be transferred anywhere in the state! But I am still going to continue with my ASL class that I am taking. Because why not?

• Wedding Planner

So once you get that pretty little ring on your finger, the wedding industry hooks you in. I started watching all those shows on WETV (Rich Bride, Poor Bride, My Fair Wedding, Wedding Central, etc), and I thought to myself, "Hey! I am extremely organized, a little obsessive-compulsive, and a perfectionist! And I love being in charge! I could totally be a wedding planner!" And it would be really nice having a job that was a little more flexible so I could spend time at home with our kids. Then it dawned on me that I would be dealing with bridezillas all day long. This plan literally only lasted like 2 days.

• Photographer

This is my current plan (we like to refer to it as the jam plan). First of all, I have always loved taking pictures. And I did have a brief stint in wanting to become a photographer. But then those dang dolphin ideas took over again. Second of all, my best friend has her degree in photography. It's not that I want to be just like her (because for the most part, I already am), but if I went into photography, I bet it would be easier for me to convince her to move out to California (which I have been working on for over a year now). This would take less schooling than getting my teaching credential, and if they accept my out of state basic courses, it would only take me like 3 semesters. That would only be for an Associate's though, which is ironic that I already have my Bachelor's and am now thinking about my Associate's. Anyway, we already have some thoughts on names for when we open our own studio. I won't go into them now, because I don't want to spoil it for you.

I think this whole photography thing is my most viable option. I could work anywhere, which would be helpful while Thomas is still moving around for his job. I could spend more time at home, than if I had a regular old 9-5 job. Plus, it combines the office aspect with the outdoors (for location shoots), so I wouldn't be cooped up inside all day. I'm pretty sure I could get Miss Chels to move out here if I decided to open my own studio. But the number one reason as to why I think this option is the best, is that my last name is going to be Shoots. I mean, it's perfect. (Okay, that's obviously not my number one reason, but I think it's a pretty dang good one! I would walk up to a client and say, "Hi, I'm Emily Shoots, and I'll be doing your shoot today!" It's like the opposite of when you go into the doctor, and his name is Doctor Payne. And hey, opposite....is opposite)