For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to go to Italy, and long before that, I wanted to travel. Something about experiencing a different culture, different food and different people than what I had seen to my whole life seemed like something to do before I died.

Italy has always held a special place in my heart, and for years, I dreamed about traveling to see the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum, to eat pasta and fresh bread and most importantly, to sip on a glass of white wine while I write on a little table somewhere near water.

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This summer, I was able to live my dream and experience Italy, and let me tell you, it was amazing. The food was better than I ever imagined, the sights were incredible and although I wasn’t able to sit down and write, the wine was impeccable.

After I came back to the States, I had a sense of limbo. All my life, I had this desire to travel, and I did it. It was almost like this invisible force that was constantly pushing me forward wasn’t there anymore. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on what I was missing or why I was missing it, until I explained to my roommate what I was feeling. She replied, “Of course, you feel like that. Your dream was to go to Italy for so long, and you did that. So, pick another dream.”

Pick another dream.

How do you just “pick another dream”? I had put so many hopes and dreams into traveling that I’ve had almost 20 years to think about what I wanted to see, where I wanted to eat, what I wanted to wear. I’ve dreamed about every little detail, and when it happened, that part of the dream went away.

Of course, I will go back to Italy and travel more throughout the years, but for some reason, when I started to think about it, traveling didn’t hold that special place in my heart anymore. That urge to do anything and everything I could possibly do to make it happen.

If this has ever happened to you, I challenge you to take some time and really think about what you want out of life. Not what your parents want, not what society wants, what you want. So, I asked myself that question.

What do I want?

The one thing that stood out more than anything else was writing. I want to write, but not just that, I want to write a book that really means something. I want to write a book that takes a teen out of depression, that shows them the good and wonderful things in life. I want to write a book that challenges the youth in our society to be better people to our world and our race. I want to write a book that changes someones life or that inspires someone to follow their own dreams.

Not only do I want to write, I want to own a bookstore. I want a bookstore where kids can come and pick out their favorite books to read. Where adults can have some quiet time while working on their laptops or reading the newest best seller. I want a little coffee shop in my store that sells healthy food for my readers to indulge on (with a few chocolate chip cookies as exceptions.)

Of course, I want to get married and have a family, but for right now, these are the two things that I really want out of life. These are the things that if I know I am built to do. I know God created me for a purpose, and although I may have more to my purpose and potential than I have right now, I know writing is something I have to do and that will always be a part of me.

So, if you’ve ever felt the way I did and you don’t know what to do, look inside yourself and think, “What do I want?” and let your thoughts do the rest. Remember, it’s a dream, so the sky’s the limit.