As soon as kids are old enough to talk, we start asking them what they want to be when they grow up. It’s just one of those questions that comes up. But I’ve met many 20-year-olds who don’t know what they want to do for a living, so I don’t know why we expect five-year-olds to articulate their life’s calling.

The following is a list, in chronological order, of everything I’ve ever wanted to “do when I grow up.”

Kindergarten: A mom – I thought this would be the best job ever. My 5 year-old mind thought that meant taking my kids to school, watching TV all day while they were gone and playing until bedtime – which would be much later than my bedtime. It sounded perfect.

Then my mom told me it would be best if I got a college diploma and a husband before kids. It seemed really harsh at the time.

First Grade: Violinist – Growing up, I watched more than my share of concerts on the local PBS station. So finding a violin in the coat closet seemed like destiny. I started lessons and was on track to become the next Isaac Stern. Then I realized how much practice that would take, and the violin became more of a hobby.

Sixth-Seventh Grade: Luthier – Specifically, I wanted to make violins. I don’t remember how this started, but I went so far as to buy carving tools and make part of a violin. Then I just stopped. That’s one I wish I had stuck with.

Seventh-Eighth Grade: Engineer – My dad is an engineer, and that meant he got to make things. He took me to tour the prototype shop at the company where he works, and it seemed like the coolest thing in the world. Then I realized how much math was required, and I reconsidered.

High School: Band Director – I was a little bit of a band nerd in high school. I thought music was all anybody needed in life, and I wanted to teach the world to read music. And I still believe that all students should get a chance to learn a musical instrument and that it helps in other areas of education. But there are better people to teach it than me. Dealing with the spit of 50 kids is not my thing.

Now – I graduate in one year, and I have no idea what I want to do “when I grow up.” Maybe someday I’ll have a huge career, doing things like bringing peace to the world and ending poverty. Then I will look back and say “psh, a luthier?”

But until then, the one thing I know is that I wouldn’t trade the experience of trying all of these things for the chance to have been born knowing my “calling.” I want to figure it out and try everything along the way, and hopefully, I’ll find a respectable source of income until then.