Where You Thought You'd Be

[Big Jim]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life? Looking back at whatever plans/dreams you had when you were younger, have you reached them?

If you have, are you satisfied or do you want more?

If not, why? And are things better/worse/just different than what you thought they'd be?

[Anguirel]

Pretty close. I have my degree in Computer Science, I enjoyed getting it, I'm pretty sure I'll like most jobs I can get with it... if there were any jobs available in the first place. I'm certainly not as old as some of the people here, so I'm probably not the one to be answering this, but... Yeah, I'm pretty close to exactly where I wanted to be and (I hop I'm close to) what I wanted to be doing. About all I could ask for more right now is a job in the games industry (or even just programming or doing CS research (especially AI) for now) and a new girlfriend. The rest I either have or feels well within my reach (especially with the decent job).

Mainly things are not as I want because the market crapped out before I got a job and there's an excess of somewhat experienced (2-3 years) computer people around at the moment. And I don't know what happened with my ex, but things just kinda fell apart after a few years together.

[lordhellion]

Considering I thought I was going to be a superhero when I was younger, no. But as I grew older and got more realistic goals, I'd say that I'm still on track for them. I may not be accomplishing them as fast as I hoped I would, but I don't feel like I've been walled off away from the future I envisioned. I just feel like I'm taking a different route to getting there.

[MooCow]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life?

Considering that my response to the traditional interview question of "where do you see yourself in five years?" was "Not starving".... Yes. I'm not starving and I'm not homeless. I have a good job, that I enjoy (for the most part). I'll admit that my plans never included living in Chicago, but overall I think that was a good move.

If you have, are you satisfied or do you want more?

That's tricky question. Yes I'm satisfied, and yes I want more. If I never got another promotion, just COL raises, I'd be ok with that. At the same time, I would like to own a house, have my own gaming shop, etc. But just because I have goals/dreams above and beyond does not mean I'm disatisfied with where I'm at now.

[Gunny]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life?

nope. I figured that I'd be somewhere digging up dinosaur bones and being snubbed at by my family for not being part of a 'real' scientific field.

Looking back at whatever plans/dreams you had when you were younger, have you reached them?

only a little bit. I've moved away from my family and am with someone my father doesn't approve of. so far that's two on my list I can cross off.

And are things better/worse/just different than what you thought they'd be?

well, things are MUCH better than I thought they'd be. I was terrified of moving from Texas all the way up to Illinois. not that I was going to be so far away from everyone I knew, it's that I didn't know what I was going to. the only thing I knew of Illinois was what I had seen on the news (nothing good) and read in newspaper articles and magazines. sure I had been there a few times to visit Daki, but I was sheltered and protected by him until it was time to usher me back on that plane to send me home. this place scared the hell out of me for a while, but I came to realize that its not as horrifying as I thought it would be. now I've a world of opportunity ahead of me unlike the stagnation back in Texas. of course it helps that Daki is a headhunter, so he can at least get his foot in the door for me to squeeze through while other people are waiting in line just to see the door.

so all in all, while I'm not exactly where I imagined I would be or doing what I imagined I would be, I'm pleased with how things turned out. I haven't exactly given up on the idea of doing some palentology (there are several groups out there that allow/teach) and joining up with one of those groups for a summer retreat sounds damn appealing. I still don't know what I want to do with myself career wise, but I'm still young and don't mind getting my feet wet in a lot of puddles. so I'm still very open about my future. right now it's a big blank canvas and I've got oodles of paint.

[3278]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life?

No.

I assumed I'd graduate college, get a degree in some science or mathematical field, or perhaps writing - I worked my way through high school writing short stories and the like - and perhaps spend some time as an amateur musician. If I was lucky, I'd meet a nice local girl and have thousands of fat babies. That's presupposing I'd even live this long, an issue which has been very much up-in-the-air at various times for physical and mental health reasons.

As it is, I'm in the computer field, which was an accident, didn't exactly go to college in any real sense, spend probably 40 percent of my free time making music that's nothing like what I thought I'd be making, and I met a /really/ nice, incredibly talented, intelligent, assertive, ambitious, educated and seriously beautiful woman, with whom there will be at least a few fat babies somewhere down the line. And I'm alive, and somewhat likely to stay that way for some time.

And are things better/worse/just different than what you thought they'd be?

My daughter wasn't planned, but I wouldn't trade her for the world. My career wasn't planned, but...well, okay, it sucks. My girlfriend was so unplanned I'm still not adjusted to the concept that she's with me. My music is nothing like what I thought it'd be, and sometimes I wonder what kind of idiot I was that wanted to make anything else in the first place.

It's better, far better, in nearly every possible way. It would have been impossible for me to have predicted this life 10 years, or 5 years, or even 2 years ago. How could I have expected my daughter, or my recording studio, or my marvelously unpredictable car? How could I have planned for my roommate or my friends or that I'd meet a girl from 4,000 miles away who I'd spend the rest of my life with?

So, yeah, better, by far, and much, much different.

[Jestyr]

Oh boy. Uh, no. I was going into research science - chemistry - and by now I should, according to the original plan, have my PhD and be two years into a postdoc research fellowship in England.

Hah. Stupid drivers who don't watch where they're going.

I can't honestly say my life is better than it would have been - I wish I could, but I loathe my job so much that it sort of taints everything else. Give it another three months and ask me then.

[Wildfire]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life? Looking back at whatever plans/dreams you had when you were younger, have you reached them?

Yes and no Depends when you would have asked me In 7th grade I was ready and prepping for a career as a vetrenarian, in 10th I decided I couldn't handle that, and got hooked on computers in 4 weeks, in college I was all about embedded software, which I still am (albiet a job would be nice) but never expected the web stuff. Thoughts of an SO were never really there, so can't really say I had any dreams in that area

If you have, are you satisfied or do you want more?

I'm satified with software engineering pending a job. I want to get Winternight Technologies up as a viable company, I'm happy with having a house, I'm happy with Nightshadow, and almost 7 years seems to prove out it was a good thing if unexpected at the time . I want to be able to have a cushion in my bank account that will let me survive for a year should I lose another job.

If not, why? And are things better/worse/just different than what you thought they'd be?

Things are way differnt in some areas. Nightshadow is working pizza instead of mechanical engineering, I'm in Atlanta when I started in Virginia, 3 years after we said we would, we still aren't married. I'm starting a business even if its just me, the person who skipped out on The Entreprenuer class because she never saw herself doing anything of the sort. I'm drawing and writing of all things. I can't say that I'd trade now for my planned life at this point, though

[MissTeja]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life? Looking back at whatever plans/dreams you had when you were younger, have you reached them?

Nope. I was gonna be a famous movie star. Had it all planned out...Hollywood in '98. Gonna acheive my superstardom and then have a huge family. I don't have either right now. Single, no kids, and definately not living in Hollywood. I'm not really disappointed though, because I had a Plan B growing up and I am still working on it. I'm going after my Masters in Criminal Justice with studies in International Affairs and Political Science and I'm *attempting* to learn the Arab language. With time, I hope to work for the government in some sort of foriegn affairs capacity. (I know, I know...) I guess we'll see, though. My career is my priority.

If not, why? And are things better/worse/just different than what you thought they'd be?

That's a difficult question. In some capacities better and in some worse. I had had intentions to move straight to LA. Instead I am getting a college education which is awesome. Then again, I'm still stuck in Michigan. I am finding that the older I get, the more of a homebody I am becoming and that sucks. I don't really regret going the way I did. That much schooling is taking a long time, and with my deal with my health, I really dont want to be in college forever. I guess I just keep my chin up and hope that fate is taking me in the right direction.

[Serious Paul]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life? Looking back at whatever plans/dreams you had when you were younger, have you reached them?

No, because I was sure my father was correct in saying I wouldn't live to see 25. So I am way beyond that, neh?

If you have, are you satisfied or do you want more?

I'm a glutton, I admit it.

If not, why? And are things better/worse/just different than what you thought they'd be?

Well uhmmm...well I am not rich or famous or anyhting, but I am alive, and I have fun, and friends and family, so thats good. Still have dreams to keep me going. Always will.

Someday....

[Szechuan]

Are you where you thought you'd be in life? Looking back at whatever plans/dreams you had when you were younger, have you reached them?

If you have, are you satisfied or do you want more?

If not, why? And are things better/worse/just different than what you thought they'd be?

I'm not going where I thought I'd be going four months ago, let alone as a kid. But it's all for the better.

[EvanMoore]

When I was a Freshman in college, I thought about what I wanted from life.

1) Nice house--nothing fancy, but functional, with a fireplace.
2) Two cars that were reliable.
3) A wife.
4) Children.
5) Enough income that if my VCR died, it wouldn't destroy my budget to buy another one.

I reached that point when I was 31.

Now my ongoing goal is to "retire" (that means quitting the job I *have* to do in order to do the work that I was *want* to do) by the time I'm 45.

I guess I'm about on track...

Evan

[Sowhat]

I'm not old enough to have achieved any of my goals yet. But when I was little, I wanted to be a QC & perhaps get chosen for a possition as a judge. Then once I realised that in some cases, it's not clear who is right and who is wrong and that in such a possition I may contribute to putting the wrong people in jail & letting the wrong people get away, I decided it would be too much responsibility.

Then I wanted to cure diseases, and work in the field of research. I still very much plan to do this; the one thing I DON'T want to end up doing is something where I learn what to do, and simply do it. I want a job where I'm finding out the methods, not just putting them into practice. So I'd love to research. But now I'm realising that I'm probably not smart enough to get into this field, and may end up doing some boring, monotonous job anyway, no matter how much education I had to go through to end up there.

If that idea fails, (or even if it doesn't), then I intend to get into politics. I'd love to start my own party, but I need support to do that, and of course, money. So maybe it'd be a good idea for someone to bring this thread back up in another few months or even years if it's still remembered, to see where everyone's at.