I’ll Be Dreaming
April 28th, 2025
Photo: Chloe Sinel
Writer: Keely Conlan
Editor: Carly Schneider
This is going to be the pep talk of your life, so everyone, sit down and listen up. We are about to talk about dreams. I’m not talking about the ones you have when you sleep, but the ones that wake you up. The ones that keep us up at night, lying in bed staring at the ceiling, wondering when the day will come when they will become reality. I'm talking about aspirations, passions, and goals — the big, the small, and every little dream in between.
Too often, we look at our dreams as distant, unreachable stars, feeling content to admire them from the ground as we daydream about “what could be.” We all hesitate. We all overthink. We all let fear whisper doubts in our ears — fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear that we’re not capable. But here's the thing. If you have a dream, you’ve already won half the battle. Because the moment a dream is born, it proves one thing: it's possible.
Dreams are not immediate. We live in a world of instant gratification, but real dreams take time. They require patience, energy, and resilience. Setbacks, rejections, and doubts? They’re all part of the deal. But they don't define your outcome — your persistence does. The courage to try, even when failure is an option, is what separates dreamers from doers.
The important thing to remember is that dreams and goals are crucial for our lives. They provide purpose, direction, and motivation for us to transform our aspirations into tangible achievements. So, have one, have two, have infinity — if you can dream it, you can make it happen.
Ever since I was little, I have had the dream of living in New York City. I watched movies set in Manhattan, imagining the rush of the city that never sleeps. I pictured myself walking those same streets, feeling the energy, and building a life for myself in a place that has been known for being the city of dreams. But for the longest time, it felt like just that — a dream. Something distant, something for “someday.”
Now, as a college senior planning the next stage in my life, this dream is within reach. It's plausible. It's possible. Yet part of me still wrestles with the “what ifs.” What if I don't get a job there? What if I don't love it? What if it's not right for me? What if I never make it there at all? These doubts have, in some ways, made me hesitate, subtly convincing myself that this dream cannot become reality.
But the truth is, there's never going to be a “perfect time” to chase after what I want. The only way to make a dream real is to take the steps– so I am. And though I may not be there yet, I know that eventually, what once felt impossible will be the life I’m living.
At the end of the day, there is nothing to lose by going after what you want. The real risk? Staying still, letting fear hold you back, letting doubt and external pressures dictate your future. Your dream — whether personal or professional, massive or minuscule — is yours to chase. And no one else can make it happen but you.
So, stop waiting. Stop hesitating. Don't let fear talk you out of what's meant for you. Take the leap. Send in that application. Start that new project. Keep moving forward. Because you are capable. And if I am chasing my dreams, facing my fears, and trying to make my dreams a reality? Then you can do it, too. That fire inside you? It’s ready to ignite.
Now go light it.
