Reality Based Dreaming

As I sit here watching the Opening Ceremonies of this year's Olympics I'm forced to remember that once upon a time, my dream was to compete in the games. It didn't matter what I was competing in, as long as I made it eventually. But, seeing as the average age of competitors keeps getting lower and this year seems to be around 11 1/2 I think my dreams are pretty much crushed. Although equestrians are usually older. I still have a chance! OR NOT. Unless they introduce competitive napping or retort spewing into the mix I think I'm doomed to a life of athletic mediocrity.
It's kind of weird to think of how dreams change. My sights are so much lower now. Some might say more realistic, which is true, but it's still sad to think that I'm no longer a dreamer. I guess I'm firmly grounded in reality. My big dream right now is to see 100 countries before I die. So far I've gotten Canada, Mexico, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic under my belt. Oh yeah, I've visited the US a time or two. Six down, 94 to go! Speaking of, I talked to my study abroad advisor yesterday and it looks like I'll be going to Costa Rica. The program in the Dominican Republic didn't come as highly recommended. I can't wait to go! And I'll be done on April 1 so there's a chance I might actually be getting my diploma in May instead of having to wait until August for everything to come through. The only problem is that I have to get two letters of recommendation from professors. I haven't exactly developed close relationships with any of my professors. I'm one of those students that is content to sit back and observe rather than actually be a part of the class. Not to mention I usually chat online through all of my classes, which is definitely not appreciated. I'm sure you are all just fascinated to read about this...Anyway, Katie will be here with Rossi (her golden retriever puppy) so I suppose I should get my lazy ass off my bed.