Challenging the “American Dream”

I think we can all agree that from the time we are children, we are sold the “American Dream”. Go to school, graduate, get a job in corporate America, find a partner, settle down, birth 3 children, buy a house with a white picket fence etc. But..what if ones dream looks nothing like that? What if instead, I dream of waking up in foreign cities, exploring faraway places, meeting people from around the globe? Of making the most out of this one, precious life and not waiting until some day to see the world? Does that mean there’s something wrong with me? These are the questions I asked myself as my graduation date loomed closer. As my friends were applying to grad school, nailing internships and landing corporate jobs all I could think about was getting back to Europe.

I can still vividly remember the night that getting a TEFL certificate popped up on my radar. I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy and a friend of a friend was visiting from Prague. Over dinner, she shared how she had completed a 120 hour course and was now certified to teach English anywhere in the world. She explained that Monday through Friday she taught English classes in Prague, and on the weekends she was exploring Europe. As soon as I heard this, my heart skipped a beat because I knew it was the gateway to everything I had dreamed of.

I was already half way through my semester abroad, and was desperate to continue my globe trotting. Whereas most of my friends would go back home and carry on with their projected paths, I already knew life would never be the same for me. I had been bitten by the travel bug, and to this day have never found the cure.

Coming home from Florence was rough, it was a definite reverse culture shock to say the least. For the last four months I had been living my best life; galivanting around Europe, trying foreign foods and visiting exotic places. Meanwhile my college friends back at home had carried right on with “normal” life; classes during the week, 50 cent well drinks at Blarneys on Thursdays, and Rugby parties at the weekend.

Suddenly it all seemed so mundane. I couldn’t stop thinking about going back to Italy after graduation. I wanted to get a TEFL certificate, I wanted to get paid to teach in a foreign country and travel on the weekends. “Who are you? Peter Pan?” asked a guy I was dating at the time. What he never said, but definitely implied was “once you graduate from college you have to grow up, settle down.” It wasn’t until that moment that I realized just how different I was from most of the people around me, and how my dreams just did not align with their mindset.

Luckily, I followed my heart, ditched the dude who wanted me to play small, and signed up for a TEFL course in none other than Florence, Italy. After two years of nonstop dreaming, I found my way back to my beloved study abroad city! The certification program was extremely challenging, but also one of the best things I ever did. I learned a lot, and met amazing people, one of whom is my best friend to this day. More importantly though, I made a huge statement to the Universe the moment I decided to get out of my comfort zone and enroll in the course!

It’s been just about ten years since I took that giant leap of faith and followed my dream of being a TEFL teacher. It’s absolutely amazing to look back and see how one decision had such a domino effect on my life. I spent two years teaching English in Spain and was blessed enough to not only experience living in a foreign country, but also got to travel all over Europe during winter and summer breaks! I shudder to think about what life would have been like had I conformed to a dream that was so clearly not mine, if I listened to the neigh sayers who told me my dream was too crazy.

If I could go back in time and tell 23 year old Mary-Pat anything it would be this: Your dream is NOT crazy, just different. I know it’s hard, but try to drown out the opinions of others and listen to your heart. That voice you hear? That’s your intuition. Listen to it and it will bring you amazing places. Be brave, and remember you can do anything you set your mind to!

If my story resonates with you, then that advice is for you as well! I’d love to hear from you below, what dream do you have that challenges the norm?