What is the dream?

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford

    I have recently started to realize that manifestation begins in the mind. I have been in a bit of a mental slump during this quarantine and have lost my focus a little bit. 

    First, I wanted to add a little history. When I was in college, I remember having a graduation track with my advisors that made my experience fairly straightforward for five years. Now four years after graduation I haven't been a very good planner and have let doubt cloud my mind after many rejection emails and dead end opportunities. I also changed my mind about my immediate career as a zoologist after not being experienced enough for the jobs I wanted but not wanting the emotional burden of the jobs that were available at the time. I know that most zoologists get their start by volunteering at a local zoo or participating in a full time yet unpaid internship. So back in 2017 with a bachelor's degree, I went back to retail in video games at the local Gamestop. I stayed there almost a year and loved my coworkers but knew this wasn't what I wanted to do. Then I found a dog kennel to work at part time and I loved every minute of it. The hard work, the dogs, and most of the coworkers were great. But then I realized that I wasn't making enough to support myself fully. So after 6 months of managing a dog daycare I decided to pursue dog grooming. I hopped around to three different grooming locations within a two year period, gaining a pet grooming certification and then completing over 300 hours of hands on work. 

    Now that I am unemployed I have been working on my own business and clients up in Hillsboro. I still have dreams of doing a zoology internship and hope to save up money from dog grooming in order to pay for my expenses. And now that I have a little monster doggo myself, I am becoming more and more interested in animal training. I still have things to figure out in that department to pay for an animal training certification but I have some leads to look into. 

Echo for clout. She is precious baby even if her recall skills are awful outside haha!

So what is the dream? 

    Well back in 2015 I think I finally found my answer. In the summertime, I was spending the summer with my aunt Stephanie in her home near Richmond, VA. My biological father Dave who hadn't been in my life previously paid for my airfare and I spent a week to meet his family for the first time. I will have to do a blog post about this trip because it was almost three months long with reunions and great memories. I got to see so many wonderful things with both families and one memory that I'll never forget was our trip to a huge theme park called Busch Gardens. This place was basically part zoo, part amusement park with rollercoasters and animal shows. In the afternoon, we watched a rescue animal show called "More Pet Shenanigans". There were three female performers who put on a 20 minute skit about their daily lives as a postwoman, veterinarian, and baker. They performed with more than 30 animals of all sizes - birds, dogs, cats, rats, and even a pig! They were doing tricks and running all over the stage and audience creating a story and show right in front of our eyes. I was absolutely enthralled from start to finish with one thought i my mind: "This is what I want to do!" I was a theatre kid in my small high school town and I think this job speaks to the actor in me as well as my incredible love for animals. This career is not simple or straightforward. It is probably incredibly competitive. But I have to remember that life happens a little at a time.