What else would you do?

I am fascinated by the choices people make when it comes to work. Every day, every place I go, every person I see, I wonder to myself, "How did this person choose his/her job?" Or did it choose him/her?

I am lucky - I had the chance to choose my path and earned a scholarship so it was basically free. But I worked very hard to find my current job; it took 12 years to get my Ph.D., 1 year on the academic "job market", 110 applications, 8 interviews across the country (Fairleigh Dickinson, Notre Dame, University of Georgia to name a few) in the middle of winter blizzards, and then several rounds of additional interviews in San Diego before I was offered my professorship.

But being a professor was my second choice; I really wanted to be a medical doctor and was "pre-med" for several years before I switched to English. Why'd I switch? Two reasons: 1) I met Kathy Murphy, who would for years after be my mentor, and she convinced me that becoming a professor was my calling, and 2) I couldn't maintain a 4.0 GPA in science and math courses and if I was going to med school I only wanted to go to a top-tier program. Good reasons? I don't know. Part of me still wants to go to med school when Nick gets older (shhh don't tell anyone - that's my secret fantasy and I know, it's a little crazy at this point).

So here's the upshot of this post: I love watching The Actor's Studio. My favorite part of the interview is when James Lipton asks his guests what other profession they would attempt if they were not actors. I have given this serious thought, can you tell? Here are the other careers I would have chosen (in order of preference). In your comment, tell me yours! As you consider your options, pretend that money is no option, and that you have all the time and resources in the world. If that were the case, what would you do?

1. Medical doctor - I would have liked to specialize in neurology. I am fascinated by the brain. I might have considered becoming a psychiatrist.

2. Clinical psychologist - I almost, **almost** got my Ph.D. in psychology rather than education. I even completed the application but didn't send it in. When I think about how close I came, I sometimes have regrets even though I do love my current job, only because if I had gone the psych route I would have had more options (e.g., private practice and teaching).

3. Spa owner - I still have this dream. I'd like to run my own spa, something that women of all financial means and circumstances could enjoy. I studied at the Dermalogica Institute in Marina Del Rey when my mom owned her beauty salon and became very interested in skin care and aromatherapy. Then in grad school I almost took one summer to become a licensed massage therapist (almost, almost, almost). I think my ideal spa would offer a set of services just for pregnant women, with childcare so ladies could come and enjoy themselves and not worry about who would care for their children. I would like to run specials for working moms, offer courses in aromatherapy and basic skin care, and maybe even have special services for kids - mommy-and-me facials anyone?