bingo

I’m going to be (or currently am) 26 years old. Beginning in the fall, I’m going to pursue a graduate degree in finance. Three years down the road, I’ll be working for a bank, consulting firm, or something else in the field. Just like that, another 3 year brick of time.

Unless another school calls me back and offers me a big ol’ scholarship, I’ll be attending Brandeis in the fall. It’s a two year program, with a focus on finance and economics. Additionally, I’ll have the chance to study a language and live abroad.
What makes me most excited about Brandeis is that I’ll be able to do the following: gain careers skills, along with re-educating myself. In other words, I’ll get to take the classes I wish I took while I was at Reed, while gaining the career-related knowledge I currently lack.

I’ve always kicked myself in the butt for not studying abroad, and I’ve always been disappointed in myself for not seriously studying a language while at Reed (sorry Jerome. I’ll learn French someday… otherwise I’ll never be able to ride bicycles and smoke cigars in the proper manner). Additionally, when I graduated from Reed, more than anything else, I wanted to turn back the clock a year or two and get a degree in economics. Those were the classes that excited me the most on my way out the door, and in the near future, those are the classes I’ll be jumping back into.

I can see myself heading in a few different directions over the next 2 years.

(1) studying Spanish; spending a semester in Barcelona or Mexico City
(2) studying Chinese; spending a semester in Beijing
(3) studying Portuguese on my own; spending a semester in Sao Paolo
(4) mastering Japanese; spending a semester in Tokyo

I like all four of those options. I think I’m in love with all of them. I think that 2 and 3 are best for my career in the long-term, 1 is probably the most fun, and 4 is probably the best for my career in the short-term. It wouldn’t take a lot of effort to bring my Japanese to a professional level… but I want to expand my circle of confidence, I want to see new places, and I want to get new ideas. If I went back to Japan, I’m sure I would learn how to do more, but I’m not sure I would actually learn anything new or test myself in new ways.

Aside from career stuff, I’ve also found a really rad part-time job for the summer. It’s a cruise-restaurant in Boston. The money is good, the people are good, and it’s a very fun atmosphere. Additionally, I can take up to 3 guests on weekend brunch for free! So if anyone is visiting the Boston area, keep your weekend clear and let me know ahead of time. Mimosa, chocolate fountains, and a quick tour of Boston harbor are waiting for you.

I’ve had a plan for a while now: Before the age of 35, I want:

(1) to speak 3 foreign language fluently. The languages have never mattered, but that number has always floated around. I’ve always been amazed by polyglots, so I’ve always wanted to become one. Realistically, I believed that I could master a new language every 5 years on a part-time basis. I only spent 3 years on Japanese, but I spent all of that time in the country. I think that 5 years is still a good timeframe… maybe a European language would take less.
(2) to live and work abroad. I guess I’ve already done this, but I’d like to do it somewhere new, and in a new capacity. Being abroad is exciting and fun. If I’ve got a career-related job, all the better.
(3) to get an MBA, along with an MA in a specialized field. So far, it looks like I’ll be doing this in the opposite order. And that’s fine. Additionally, I could get an MBA in Europe, and that would certainly help me with my language goals, etc. There are so many amazing programs in Europe. Then again, maybe America will catch up to the European models by the time I’m interested.
(4) to travel the world. This is going to be the toughest one. I know that I can make 1 week trips here and there, but I want a long trip (at least 3 months, if not 12). The 12 month trip might have to come later in life, so I’ll just squeeze in a 3 month trip at some point. If I time it right, I can get accepted to an MBA program and take the trip before classes start. This would give me anywhere from 1-8 months, depending on how early I take a leave of absence from work.
(5) to leave my job at the age of 55 and travel the world for as long as I feel like. We’re talking years and years. I’ll do this by saving a ton of money and investing that money in lots of companies that pay dividends. The goal will be to live off of those dividends for as long as I feel like. Eventually I’ll return home… but I really like the idea of wandering the world for over 2 years... like that dude from Kung-Fu.

I guess that’s it. I don’t have a lot of goals… I suppose I’ve got benchmarks. And I’m ok with that. After all, I’m headed in a direction, and I’ve had the same benchmarks for a while. Most of the specifics will work themselves out organically (job, where I live, hobbies, etc).

So after a depressing post in Feb, I’ve got a more positive post in April...

…and boom goes the dynamite.