10 Things I Would Do (if I weren't busy parenting)

For this week's writing prompt, I chose to tackle the Since my current "job" is that of a full-time mother, it's hard to think about what I would do if I weren't "working." While I certainly have been vocal about the hardships of doing this kind of job (and still question whether I'm the right candidate for it), there isn't any doubt that this is the most passionate I've felt about or vested so much of myself into any other job I've held thus far. In short, no, I would not trade my current job for anything else right now.

With that in mind, of course I occasionally think about what else I could be doing. Here is my list of Top 10 jobs I sometimes fantasize about:

1. Professional photographer: I have loved cameras and photography since middle school. I am lucky enough to have some decent equipment and interesting subjects to photograph (my kid and friends' kids), and I get enough compliments that some days I dream about doing it professionally.
2. Chef: My other passion is to cook. I'm not fancy, and I mostly cook out of necessity (rather than to create fantabulous-looking masterpieces that taste great), but I still dream about getting paid to cook for other people.
3. Café Owner: Not only do I want people to pay me for the food I cook, but I want to serve it to them in my own little cafe. I would have small bites to offer, sandwiches, and desserts galore! Oh, and some damn good coffee.
4. Writer: Writing is another passion that's been with me for a long, long time. I have dry spells, but I've always tried to write something in one capacity or another. I was a journalism student in college, and some days I think about what it would be like to chase after a story in this day and age.
5. Editor: What do I love as much (or even more than) writing? Editing. I consider myself pretty anal about checking other people's work, and I've have ended up being the unofficial fact-checker at most of the jobs I held after college.
6. Musician in a band: I'll be honest, I don't have a lick of musical playing ability. I tried to learn to play the piano and flute while growing up, but they never stuck. I'm a big music fan though, and going to concerts was a big part of my life up until I gave birth to my son. Yes, I've dreamt about being a rock star.
7. Forensic investigator: Why yes, I do enjoy crime dramas on TV! I think what forensic investigators do is utterly fascinating! Remember what I just wrote about being anal? These guys and gals need to be detail-oriented, and I like to search for clues to solve mysteries. It would be a perfect fit! Well if only I chose a more science-related route in college than one that focused on the arts.
8. Paper store owner: You know shops like Paper Source? Yeah, I would totally love to own and run a place like that. I have had such a strange fascination with paper since I was young that being surrounded by all sorts of paper would be heavenly.
9. Stationery designer: As I mentioned, I love paper. This is actually a job I already had when I started my own small business as a greeting card and custom invitation designer a few years before I had my son. I loved it and sometimes wish I put more time and effort into growing my business.
10. Travel journalist: Last, but definitely not least. This dream job mixes my two biggest passions of writing and photography, with the added bonus of traveling all over the world. I used to watch shows like Globe Trekker and wished I could travel alongside Ian Wright, writing and taking pictures in Sri Lanka, Tahiti, and Japan.