I’ve wanted to become a writer since I was a kid. Unfortunately, when people would ask, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” my answer would more often than not be followed by a quizzical stare, a condescending smile, a pat on the head, or just a “Really? That’s really what you want to do?” As time passed, such responses reinforced the necessity of looking for a “real job”. Saying that I wanted to become a writer was like saying that I wanted to become an astronaut, a billionaire, or a famous celebrity. It was an unrealistic and impossible goal. So I began to tell people that I’d be happy working the 9-5 behind a desk, at a bank, or in a library as long as I could be financially independent and see a bit of the world. Passion and work simply didn’t mix.

Now, graduating university with my undergraduate degree, I have the opportunity to actually get that 9-5 job, but suddenly it’s not enough. Over the past year, I’ve become more accustomed to responding truthfully when people ask me, “What do you want to be?” I am slowly replying with more confidence when I say, as I did when I was a child, that I want to become a writer. After all, they are asking me what I want to be, not what I need to be, and being a writer is pretty much all I want – to follow my passion and live my dream. At times I do receive the same quizzical or condescending stares, and who knows? Perhaps being a writer is as impossible and as difficult as becoming a billionaire. No matter. I’m going for it anyways.

Feel free to follow me as I achieve my dreams.