That's it! I'm not afraid of you anymore. I'm not afraid of your scoffing or your doubtful looks. Your gossipy whisperings or internal disbelief. Zach and I have a plan for our lives and no matter how impossible it seems, it's what we're putting 100% of ourselves into.
I think I've been a little nervous about sharing the whole thing because sometimes the implausibility of it likes to poke me in the eye when I'm not looking. And every time I hear that twinge of doubt in your voice, that little bugger gets in another jab.
It's a bit of an involved plan, which I'm sure will be modified thousands of times, but here's the general idea:
Step One: I have a blast being a Hall Director at Truman State University and support Zach while he completes a nursing degree.
Step Two: I get a job as a Hall Director somewhere that has a Spanish Masters program and hopefully a Public Administration (with an emphasis in international/non-profit management) Masters program. Zach gets a job in the same city and starts knocking out large chunks of our college debt. We also begin doing feasibility studies for a coffee shop/restaurant.
Step Three: I become a Spanish professor, Zach continues working as a Nurse, and we start our coffee shop. We want the business to eventually be what will fund a school/clinic in Central America that we will begin and run. So at the coffee shop, we'll sell fair trade items from the country the school will be in. We'll have it posted that all profits are to support a school/clinic. etc. Hopefully we will be at the stage where we are doing site visits in other countries, trying to find a place that has great need. We want to modify the school/clinic idea to fit the place, once we find it.
Step Four: All personal debt will be paid off, the business will be self-sustaining (hopefully with great managers like Zach's parents or someone we can trust to run it) while we begin making large progress towards starting the school.
Step Five: We move permanently. Start the school/clinic. Set up with doctors/dentists/nurses to create a sustainable system. Create quality housing and education for students. Hopefully we will be funded completely through the coffee shop/restaurant.
So...that's it and don't you judge me! I am a self-professed dreamer of extremely large dreams. I know it's a lot and it's a long way off but...we made this plan in January and we're on our way already!
Zach and I both put in over 150 hours preparing for the OPE job fair. We looked into every single one of +250 jobs/schools posted. I revised my resume and cover letter, spoke with professionals in the field, narrowed it down to my top 9 picks, called and emailed with those schools, and landed interviews with all of them. After that it came down to two on-campus interviews and I got the job at my top pick school. Who does that!??!??!!!
I think the sense of accomplishment was so great because we put in such a huge effort. It didn't just land in our laps. We worked really hard for that position at Truman. The experience has left me feeling like Zach and I can do anything if we put our full effort towards attaining it.
Below is a link to just one of the articles I've read as I've researched the problems of street children in Central America. It reports about a proposal to "ban street children" in Mexico City. There are over 100,000 children in Mexico City alone who are either homeless or supplementing income for their families by working on the streets as vendors.
Zach and I don't currently have the skill set to do anything effective to help these children but they are our focus. For the next few years, we will be doing everything we can to gain skills, connections, ideas, funds, and support to help them. I know our school/clinic idea is rudimentary but it's the seed we are planting. I have no doubt it will grow/develop into something wonderful.
Here's a link to something similar to what we are picturing (except it's in India):
Yeah, Allie, yeah. I love your goals. Way to go with a sweet plan. I'm still stinkin' proud of you!
ReplyDeleteyou know, it's on the internet now. so no backing down (unless some bigger, more wonderful plan comes up of course).
ReplyDeleteI know...I almost feel kinda silly with this mega specific plan.
ReplyDeleteI am such a different person than I was even a year ago! To think that I can make a plan that will fit me in two years, let alone fifteen (!) is really stretching it. I just know that this is the beautiful future that Zach and I want with all our hearts in this present moment and we're running towards it.
I know no other way to operate. It would feel useless to run in no direction at all. In fact, I think that's what happened in the fall and I almost died from trying to walk without a destination in mind.