What is your hotdog stand?

I recently picked up the audiobook "The New Frugality" By Chris Farrell from the library after reading on my friend's blog Goal Getter Gurl about how she went and listened to the author speak in person. Today as I was listening he talked about a man who as a child had a dream of having a hotdog stand and while all of his friends talked about wanting to be firemen or astronauts or police officers, he talked about wanting to own his very own hotdog stand. When he was older he became a very successful business man, however always in the back of his mind was that hotdog stand. He didn't need that hotdog stand to be financially successful or to make ends meet, but eventually he got himself a hotdog stand just because it was his dream. Apparently all of us have hotdog stands in the back of our minds. I don't know anyone that aspires to grow up and sit in a cubicle and talk on the phone all day. That's what I do now. (At this point I will just interject and say that while I am not in my dream job I am very thankful to be employed at all as I know many people would take my job in a heartbeat just to have a job). For anyone that doesn't know, though, I went to school to get my Masters in Social Work. I finished my degree in December 2009 and shortly after took the State of MN required exam for licensure and passed at the LGSW level (licensed graduate social worker). Since that time I have not advanced or started my career. I have searched high and low and I have applied to countless positions, been offered some interviews, but have received more rejection letters than I could even keep track of. Due to my circumstances of living in a small town in the corner of south eastern Minnesota there are just not a lot of opportunities for me in the field as there would be if I lived closer to a large city. Since I am married and have a family and we own our home instead of renting we just do not as readily have the opportunity to uproot ourselves to help me gain more opportunities. So, where does that leave me? I feel stuck. I know what I want, but I don't have the tools and I don't know all the necessary steps to take to make it happen. As I just celebrated my 30th birthday this past weekend I feel a mild sort of panic creeping up again. I feel flooded with "what ifs". What if I wasted a "home mortgage" amount of money on school and it will have all been pointless? What if I can never get where I want in life? What if I am never successful? What if I never have a career? It makes my head spin and it makes my stomach hurt, but I think it's good to talk about it. If anything maybe people can reach out and give me pointers or advice. At the least maybe someone will just say, "I was/am in the same boat, hang in there. It will get better". Chris Farrell indicated that no more than 8% of your income should be going towards school loans. Well I'll be darned because I just figured it out and I pay 37% of my income to student loans! (It will go down to 28% now that I have increased my hours to 40 per week again instead of 32, but still that's a lot!). And that's before taxes! I took the total amount of money I spend on my student loans every month and then divided it by what I should make a month before taxes and it came out to be 36.8% (based on 32 hours per week / 27.6% based on 40 hours per week). To me that is crazy considering that I don't even work in the field I went to school for.

On a much happier note I had an AMAZING birthday weekend. My husband took me out to eat for a fabulous dinner at The Porterhouse in Lakeville. It seriously was the best food I've had this entire year. I got the lobster tails, and yes that is tails with an "S". New England Clam Chowder (apparently it is the best in the state and they have won awards for it), amazing artichoke and spinach dip spread on soft, warm baguette bread, and the biggest baked potato top with a mound of butter and sour cream!!! Wish I would have remembered my camera to take pictures!

Then yesterday we went to my parents house and I was able to celebrate my birthday with my mom, dad, brother, sister, husband, and daughter! We ate together and then had cake (cheesecake with cherry topping - my favorite!!!) and presents! My parents gave me a much needed set of king size bed sheets, the really soft teeshirt kind and the 5 ingredient or less cookbook I wanted. My sister got me a really cool Harley Davidson shirt (she works there), and my brother got me the DVD's Bridesmaids and Groundhogs Day! All things that I will definitely use and will not be added to the household clutter, so kudos to them all for their awesome gift choices [although I did also provide a list ;) ]

Everybody has dreams, whether they are big or small. What are you dream? What steps are you taking to help you to achieve your dreams? What are some of the barriers or road blocks you have come up against? How do you keep a positive attitude and continue to move forth when you reach these stopping points?