The 5 Year Plan

Do you know what's absolutely terrifying? Realizing your 5 year plan is almost up. Can you say quarter-life crisis??

If my Twitter and Facebook feeds are any sort of indication, I know I'm not the only one going through this. But it's terrifying. You see, I don't really know what to do. My last 5 year plan was pretty simple. I drafted it my junior year of high school when everyone was telling me to start thinking about my future. It wasn't really a big deal for me then. I had been thinking about my future FOREVER! I didn't really have many choices, since my parents had mapped out a pretty decent education plan for me. The original 5 year plan looked something like this.

*Go to college and graduate my teaching degree
*Go on LOTS of dates
*Get a reliable car-if you ever saw/rode in Daisy, you understand
*Work to pay for the things I need and want

It was basic, but at 17, I really didn't understand what being in the "real world" was like. But now those five years are up and I have to create a new plan. I found out some exciting possible news concerning my graduation, and it's making me realize just how close to being done with school I am. So where do I go from here? Obviously I still have to finish this semester and next, but then what? There are so many unknowns. Here's the start of the next 5 year plan.

*Get a PR job with a stable company
*BUY a house. An apartment will be fine at first, but I want a house that I can paint and decorate
*Find HIM
*Get a new, grown up looking car
*Get a pure white, fluffy kitten and name her "Cupcake" (this is probably the easiest of everything on this list)

I feel like these things have always been on the plan, but now instead of being those things I'll do "when I grow up" they're the things I have to start doing NOW!

So what about you? Do you have a 5 year plan? Have you thought about what you'll do once you leave the cushion of academia? I want to hear your thoughts.