Recently, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what is next. Here’s what I’m thinking….

1. I will work on my website so that it truly reflects who I am, personally and professionally. So far, it has been a travel blog with lots of pretty pictures and a few good stories. My personality does come through after reading/looking at several posts, but if I want this to be a tool for my career and my future, I need it to be more immediate.

2. I will do a significant project on my own. I have been saying I would do an architectural competition for over a year now and I need to actually do it, or something like it. I need to get the creative juices flowing again, and I need projects like this to strengthen my portfolio so that I can accomplish #3.

3. I will work in an architecture office whose work and mission I admire. It will be a firm that I want to grow with and be an integral part of.

4. I will save money. Living life out of two bags and no paycheck for nearly a year has taught me that I don’t need very much stuff or money to be happy. Therefor, once #3 is under way, I should be able to save a much higher percentage of that income than I previously thought possible.

5. I will become a master of a craft. Ever since I took a ceramics class my last year of college, I have been fascinated with what my two hands could create. Since then, I haven’t touched clay because I told myself I didn’t have enough time or didn’t have enough money to invest in a class at the local studios. Instead I taught myself how to knit and sew in the comfort of my home. Eventually, I will go back to the potter’s wheel and I will try working with wood. It has already led me on a path of making things for myself rather than depending on others, and who knows, perhaps others will want me to make things for them too.

6. I will own my own business. Right now, I want to own a bed & breakfast. If I do it right, it will be located in an amazing place that I want to be forever, I will be able to use my interest in craft and background in architecture to make the b&b unique, and I will fulfill my passion of travel vicariously through others. I have also dreamed of owning my own hardware store that won’t be your run-of-the-mill Ace, but it also won’t be as hoity-toity as Restoration. It will be a neighborhood hardware store with a modern twist where you can buy the basics while having the personal attention that you might find at your local knitting shop or used bookstore. I also talked with a friend one night over drinks about opening a design bookstore. It was a fleeting moment, but I still think it would be amazing.

All of this is exciting. I don’t know when any of it will happen, and I’m sure that over time, some of it will change. But as of today, April 18, 2009, these are my personal goals.