How can someone so young sing words so sad?

In the new classic film "Never Been Kissed," Drew Barrrymore plays a Chicago Sun-Times reporter on her first investigative assignment--to find out what the kids these days are all about. Though it was probably not the best way to tackle the issues with the High School set, her constant refrain of "What are you guys' hopes and dreams?" keeps ringing in my ears.

Since graduating from the illustrious Brigham Young University more than two years ago, I've tried to pinpoint the answer for myself, but haven't had much luck. I've tried a number of different methods, including reading books "2,001 Things To Do Before You Die"and "The Wish List," checking things off, and taking note of what I've yet to accomplish. But at this critical time of decision making, it seems like I ought to go deeper than trying to see the Loch Ness Monster and winning the Nobel Prize for Literature (though both are worthy goals I plan to attain). No, I need a plan for now, and a plan for the future. I've got to discover or rediscover my passion and get in touch with that. I want to actively move on these goals, and make hay while the sun shines. But I don't even know what I'm working toward, and that's not a recipe for progress.

So one of the things on "The Wish List" or "2,001" (can't remember which) is to make a list of all your desires. I'm going to try it out. Maybe that will give me some guidance. Here goes nothing:

To have a good boyfriend
To get married and have awesome children
To spend some more time in Poland
To work as a diplomat
To visit India
To be interviewed on NBC's Today Show
To write something original, see it published, and have people love it
To do dramatic readings of "Knowing I Have Feelings He May Not" by Alison Ann Budd
To be able to afford nice things
To get over my junk food addiction, once and for all
To help my family (especially my father) get healthy
To run a 5K race
To do something so outstanding at work that I get recognized at a corporate awards ceremony
To visit Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah, GA
To walk the distance to Disneyworld, then go visit it
To have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
To be photographed by the paparazzi
To send hats and scarves to the blind Polish orphans every year
To visit Scotland
To get further with my genealogy
To look good in a bathing suit
To hike Tobacco Lake and not have to stop to rest
To always have a clean house
To create some beautiful artwork
To own James C. Christensen's "All the World's a Stage"
To buy a really nice dining room table and China Cabinet
To have a study
To have a popular blog
To write my sister's biography after she wins the Miss America pageant
To be known for my great wit
To consistently throw the best parties
To kiss Travis Felix
To have picnics in the park with my children-- with peanut butter and graham cracker sandwiches and Kool Aid in a mason jar.
To compile a family cookbook and new-bound copy of Grandpa Mulford's poems
To become a pretty good swing-dancer
To get a pixie haircut and look good
To donate my hair to Locks of Love (again)
To run in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
To go on an LDS Mission in my older years
To be famous enough that Madame Alexander makes a Rachel Sego doll
To hold public office
To buy a whole outfit at Anthropologie and then go on a dinner date at The Melting Pot
To win a Blue Ribbon at the County Fair
To take great pictures of the family in Colorado
To kiss in the rain
To walk at least 10,000 steps every day
To finish reading Ksiega Mormona
To have a really awesome wedding reception
To throw a great party for my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary
To make it to Germany
To be a guest on a show with Martha Stewart
To meet a President of the United States
To legitimately wear a tiara
To become a style icon
To visit every state in the Union
To go skinny dipping
To visit the Louvre again
To have a huge kitchen where people like to gather
To learn to play chess
To make great wheat bread
To make great money
To go on weekly dates with my husband
To take pictures of my children wearing the traditional Polish costumes
To go on a Mediterranean Cruise
To surf in Hawaii
To create some kind of iconic, Warhol-esque art
To publish a story in the Friend or Ensign
To visit Yellowstone again
To go snowboarding
To have Michael Stipe sing me a song
To have the perfect Southeastern NM Day--Hiking in Carlsbad Caverns, swimming at the Pecos Inn, eating the gross food at Kwan Den Buffet and tell my grandfather's old lame joke about flying saucers and goosing the waitstaff
To learn how to play every song in the hymnal well enough that I can finally accompany folks in church
To write a cute roadshow or family reunion skit
To learn to can preserves, pie filling, stewed tomatoes, etc.
To hike Tome Hill on Good Friday
To go back to Prague
To be interviewed on NPR
To walk the red carpet
To have a pet puppy (Lhasa Apso)
To learn to make tortillas like Ben
To donate a good sum of money to BYU
To have something or someone named after me
To be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show
To ride as the guest of honor in a parade
To go to Disneyland and not have to wait in any lines
To visit Club 33
To live in NM with my family
To visit Lagoon THIS summer
To have one of those food storage racks like Diane King
To have my engagement dinner at The Ranchers Club or the Luna Mansion
To have my wedding announcement in at least 3 papers
To have a greenhouse like Aunt Zosia
To make a great pie crust
To spend several weeks each summer writing in Colorado
To speak Polish fluently
To live in D.C. for a while
To do some event planning
To live in that Victorian House we used to have the plans for (the one with the exercise room over the master bathroom)
To finally make it to an Artesia Bulldogs Football game
To beef up my LP collection
To work at a post office or office supply store
To design my own stationary
To pass the Kissing Kitty on so it's no longer on my desk at work
To wear a Mr. T shirt to a business meeting
To live to see an Ikea and H&M go into my town
Obviously, this list is not exhaustive, nor is it closed. I'm not sure it gives me any further insight as to what to do with my life in even the next six months, but it's a start.