We have forgotten how to dream.

I realized this when talking with my dad about futures and career choices. While discussing options and internships, he asked me, "OK, in five to ten years, where do you see yourself? What's the dream job?"

 Ten years ago, I would have been sure I was going to be the first female president, an astronaut on the moon, a caretaker of penguins and a swing set designer all at the same time, but this summer, I was ashamed to realize I didn't have an answer.

 I had become so caught up in answering variations of that question like, "What's the reliable, secure, well-paying job?" and so engrossed finding an easy-to-achieve and easier-to-explain career, I didn't know what to say when my dad asked me one of the most important questions of all.

 What are your dreams? Think big. With the average American life expectancy in the 70s, this is not a question that must be answered or achieved anytime in the next couple decades. Think about your dreams, not just for your careers, but for your lives.

 For me, living in France was a dream. A visit when I was 17 sparked an interest and a drive to return that motivated my exchange experience there last semester. (Flyer in France, anyone?)

 It was the experience of a lifetime. I learned so much about other cultures and languages, as well as about myself, and I had so much fun in the process.

 But in addition to my ability to speak French, use chopsticks, dance polish folk jigs and explore ancient castles, I gained a profound satisfaction. I did what I had wanted to do. Lying in the grass under summer's sky after my final exams were finished, I realized with such pride that I had dreamt, and I had done.

 People talk about achieving goals, but there is nothing to compare to the high of truly living a dream.

 It is this I hope for you, UD, as the semester begins again. What are your dreams? Jot down a list of those ideas and experiences that tickle your mind, put a spring in your step and push you to be greater than you ever thought you could be.

 Dreaming means no constraints; our passions don't have to come in four year plans.

 The answer to my dad's question, be it a marine biologist in Antarctica, an astronaut on Mars or a student in France, matters, less than the process by which we come to it. So UD, as you put your nose back to the grindstone, remember to keep your head in the clouds.