I took another step yesterday in "achieving" the so called "American Dream": I went with a realtor searching for a condo to own. Ok, so it is not your white picket fence, front yard, blah blah blah, but at least it is my American Dream.

On a side note, I want everyone who reads this to e-mail Rachel at rachel.10[at]sbcglobal.net and convince her to come be my roommate. She works with me and would be an awesome roommate. After the raise I got, I told her I wouldn’t even charging her rent. That's like giving her a $5,000 salary increase every year! She still has her doubts. There is no romantic interest here (on either side) so it's all good! She loves football, hates children, has no emotions so it would pretty much be like rooming with myself. But I digress.

It is interesting heading into this part of my life. Everyone I talk to says the same thing: "ohh you are looking at buying property, that must mean you are setting up shop and putting down roots." And I think to myself, is that really what that means? Is the American Dream really something that traps you in one place?

The irony in the situation is that I am still considering a job in San Diego that has been offered to me. I am flying out next week to see the area and meet with people (but the people out there know that their offer is a long-shot and I am making plans here in ATL in the event that I don't accept). I obviously won't buy a place until after I decide.

I would hope, that all of us would never feel trapped in our circumstances to not pursue the opportunities God puts in front of us. To me, that is no American Dream but an American Nightmare. For some, they like the stability of having their job, staying in one place for the rest of their life with the wife and the kids and the white picket fence. They don't feel trapped, they feel secure – and that is a way of taking advantage of the opportunities God has place in front of them. But for others (like myself), I don't think I am ever going to be content, and I will always look into what dreams God has for me and no piece of property is going to convince me otherwise. Only then will I feel, my "American Dream" is synonymous with "God's dream for me."