Fantasy careers.

Does anyone else have fantasy careers? I have several alternate lives, some serious yearnings that I hope to fulfill some day, others paths I know I will never travel but that are still fun for me to fantasize about.

:: Food Critic
This probably partially stemmed from my love of the movie My Best Friend's Wedding ("I'm not going to give him up to some two-faced, big-haired, food critic!"). But seriously -- to have your life's work be eating and writing about food? Count me in. Also, read Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery if you want to drool over the writings of a fictional food critic.

:: Chaplain
I love religion. I deeply believe in the religion I was raised in, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons), but I also love learning about other religions as well as other denominations of Christianity. I love learning how people come to God, how they experience faith, and how they interpret the mystical. I think as a chaplain, I would have the chance to experience this in so many different ways. I love talking with the chaplains at work, and I am hoping I get the chance to have some conversations with military chaplains as well. I remember in my freshman year of college, my Honors 150 teacher told us at the end of the semester that she was leaving BYU to become a chaplain, which just sounds so amazing and fascinating.

:: Writer
Okay, I hope this one actually comes to fruition. Right now my fantasy is to have a couple of mornings a week where I could go write, uninterrupted, for maybe 3 hours. It might not happen until my kids are in school, or maybe at some point I will be able to pay for a babysitter once a week. But some day.

:: Lactation Consultant
This is another one that I am hoping I am successful with. I struggled so much with breastfeeding, and my kids and I had so many issues that I feel like I have had the chance to do a lot of research and learn a lot about breastfeeding. I also feel like I have a very balanced view of breastfeeding, as I have had to redefine what I want my breastfeeding relationship to look like as I've worked through the issues I've had. I think those first weeks between mother and baby are such a sacred space, and would love to help women connect with their babies through nursing, if that is their goal. I'm hoping to start working on this in the next couple of years.

:: Midwife/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
This career path has recently been on my mind and heart. When I first started my nursing career, I decided I didn't want to be nurse practitioner. The idea of being responsible for calling the shots was stressful to me. However, recently I've felt that this is an issue of confidence, not ability, and that I could be a very good midwife if I get over my fear of failure. It's funny because in nursing school I had no interest in obstetrics whatsoever. I didn't even complete a maternity rotation because my focus was completely on pediatrics and oncology. However, after giving birth -- once, in a traumatic way and once in a healing, wonderful way -- I really want to work with women and their babies. I also feel a really strong pull to work with women who are experiencing infertility, as I have so many friends and coworkers that have dealt with this challenge. I would love to be a resource and be able to help these women bring babies into the world. I would also love to nurture women after birth -- I feel like it is such a difficult transition where we need as much tenderness as possible. I would love to be part of a birth center where the midwives were able to make home visits. I'm not sure how or when this will happen, but right now my heart is very pulled in this direction, so we will see what the future brings.

:: Stay at home mom 
I have been working for the last three years as a pediatric bone marrow transplant nurse. It has been an incredible learning and growing experience, but it has also been incredibly stressful. I'm looking forward to the days up ahead where I can spend most of my time at home with my children. I know it isn't easy -- there are days when I am grateful that I can drive to work and have space from my children. But I have definitely felt the strain of not being home and the pangs in my heart from leaving my babies. I know that there is more work in my future, but for the next year I am going to be at home, and I am incredibly grateful for that. Balance is a constant struggle, but hopefully with practice I will stay on my feet longer.

What fantasy careers do you have?