Laura Lofgren asked:
Hi
I’ve just turned 23. For the past year since graduating from college, I have worked as a waitress in my home town, saving money and then traveling to different countries. I have been to Peru, Mexico, and Europe and the experiences have, I think, been really good for me.
However, now I’ve been getting a lot of social pressure to settle down and get a “real job” in my major (Media Arts and Design) and stop “playing around.”
The worst of it comes from my parents: when are you going to get a real job? or are you going to be a waitress for your whole life?
But even my fellow waiters, who are of course waiters themselves, wonder what I’m doing with my life. Why am I still a waitress when I have so much more potential? Everyone seems to think of traveling as just “playing” or “vacation.”
And there’s a part of me that believes it, too…
Hi
I’ve just turned 23. For the past year since graduating from college, I have worked as a waitress in my home town, saving money and then traveling to different countries. I have been to Peru, Mexico, and Europe and the experiences have, I think, been really good for me.
However, now I’ve been getting a lot of social pressure to settle down and get a “real job” in my major (Media Arts and Design) and stop “playing around.”
The worst of it comes from my parents: when are you going to get a real job? or are you going to be a waitress for your whole life?
But even my fellow waiters, who are of course waiters themselves, wonder what I’m doing with my life. Why am I still a waitress when I have so much more potential? Everyone seems to think of traveling as just “playing” or “vacation.”
And there’s a part of me that believes it, too…
But my main traveling goal is to go to Asia and volunteer and travel for many months.
I was wanting to go this winter, but if I go, everyone will think I’m stupid, and even worse, I will feel guilty for “playing.” What if I come back and I can’t find a job because I wasted too much time? Maybe I could go another time in my life?
What should I do?