Sometimes I get tired of people believing I'm not passionate about anything, or that I don't have dreams I'm striving towards.  I'm not sure where they get that idea, because I'm full of dreams and passions.  The difference between myself and many others is that I have various things I dream of and sometimes, there being so many I think people assume I'm not set on any one of them.  So on that note, these are the things I am passionate about and that I strive for in my life.
1. Family.  I've seen it fall apart and I know the importance of being close-knit, and that is what I am preparing for in my future.  I love kids.  After years of working with autistic kids, in daycares, elementary schools and as a nanny, they are the sweetest and most innocent people in life.  They are not fake and they are honest. 
2. Running.  There's nothing like working really hard on your own and pushing yourself til you can't go anymore, and feeling like you're about to collapse from exhaustion, but continuing with all your strength, and putting mind over matter til you cross that line with victory, knowing you've succeeded and even achieved a faster time than before, knowing you're stronger and faster because of your hard work and determination.  It's exhilirating!
3. The outdoors.  I love the sun, and being in it and being able to soak in the world we often ignore due to our busy lives.  I love hiking to a summit and seeing the whole world laying at your feet, and the expanse of the sky for as far as the eyes can reach.  I love hearing rivers and birds, the wind and the rustling of branches in the trees, I love the beach and hearing the waves crash along the shore, or feeling the seaspray on my face.  I love the night sky when all the stars are brighter than in the city and it seems there are innumerable masses of them flickering back at me.  I love the desert and its sagebrush or tumbleweeds, the mountains standing majestically, lightning storms that fill up the whole sky brigher than fourth of july, or a really hard rain storm when it's raining so hard you can't see a few feet in front of you.  I love feeling apart of all this and like it doesn't matter if I don't fit in in the rest of the world.
4. The church.  Yes, that's right, cheesey or not, I love it and will never leave it, and it composes a very large chunk of my life.  I may doubt it in my lowest times at the points I don't understand, nonetheless I will never leave it and I will always stay true to it.  It has made me much of who I am.
5. Adventure.  Be that serving a mission, moving to a new place, learning a language, or anything new for that matter, I love new and exciting things.  I like learning different things.  I like new books, or new music, or new art in the art museums.  I like to go on road trips or go driving and get lost looking at big houses in the hills or finding a dirt road to explore, I love to go look at city lights or at Christmas time exploring to find the best-lit house.  I like meeting new people (or people watching) and trying new foods.  I love feeling like I've learned something new that maybe I can share with friends. 

There we go.  Now no one can say I have nothing I live for, and that I don't strive for dreams...