Hopes, dreams, and sheep doggies

With life so up in the air and summer approaching, it's fun to think about some of the exciting times I'll be plunking into my wish list for the future, and by future, I don't mean this Friday, which still seems like an eternity all on its own. I mean events in life and accomplishments of the light-hearted kind that are a good 5-45 years away, but that tantalize me none-the-less.

The first of these is raising a puppy. Sure, I could convince a breeder or the SPCA that I am currently capable for caring for a young dog, as I starting out in work life hoping to travel, overtime it, and commute as much as is necessary. I am sure that in some kind of reality show set up, I might even win a challenge or two given the task of training a puppy to sit, stay, and refraining from chewing/barking/shedding/emitting puppiness, but it is not yet time. Also, there is the great puppy debate - S likes huskies, malamutes, and wolf-like creature's Ala Grimm's Fairy tales, and I like 100lb. plus floppy-eared beasts like English mastiffs and Bernese mountain dogs. Lately, though, I have been falling in love with the Old English Sheep Dog. Do you think this guy qualifies as a possible big, bad wolf for S?

I am hoping that within a few years, I will work out a career schedule that includes either the necessary flexible time or close proximity from home, not to mention a home with a yard (though the alley behind the row house does have trees to lift a leg to), in order to find an appropriate buddy for Oliver (like the shep!).

Next is travel! My gifted friend and his bros from Brown started a travel organization that plans to head to North Korea late summer, and I am beyond frustrated that I promised myself pre-trip announcement that I wanted to 1) save emergency fund money (seriously???!?) and 2) pay off one of my grad school loans straight up. I dream of doing a communist country circuit one of these days, including Cuba, China, and North Korea, but I don't honestly know when I will get another opportunity. Hopefully, and prayerfully, a thrifty lifestyle from now until August and getting one of those job-thingies might convince me to jump on a plane this time around (given that I've saved at least the loan money by then and can save the emergency money by December), but I doubt it. So here's to my tour in 2050, in addition to my necessary ventures to the Greek isles, to India a few more times, and as a victorious participant in the Amazing Race one of these days (a new promise I made to an old friend).

These I suppose are the 5-10 year dreams, spattered with some travel that may occur a little later than that, or in the case of the Amazing Race, only in the imagination.

The 10-45 year goals include:

Owning 1 home and never selling it
Children - conceiving, adopting, fostering, loving
Old white woman sports like boating, hiking, kayaking, and maybe golf
Public Health Mission trips to Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the US (it should stand for "us"!)
Art installations
Lots of gardening (File under 'Old white woman' section??)
Eating and sleeping well

And once I hit 70, all bets are off!