"What do you do?"

Since we are new to the area and meeting new people, the common question is "what do you do for work?". "I'm an accountant".

But what made me decide to become a boring "bean counter"? I took an accounting class in high school.  I did well, it came easy to me. But, at the same time I also took an interior design class as an elective and loved it. College was something I was most likely going to do, but no real plans. I didn't want the 4 year, live away from home experience. The local community college had a 2 year interior design program, so that's what I decided to do. Along with those classes, I had to take most of the core college classes too. I enjoyed the interior design, but never really got totally into it. I have a feeling if the internet had been around then I probably would have. I just couldn't see what kind of real job I was going to end up with the degree, other than maybe working at a furniture store or something. I couldn't see myself having my own business. By then I knew I wanted/needed a 4 year degree in order to really earn any kind of decent money and the closest 4 year degree in Interior Design was 250 miles away. It also seemed so subjective on what was good design and what wasn't. Somewhere into my second year I realized I was better suited to things that were more black and white, where there's a definite right or wrong answer - like accounting.

So, I switched gears and got an AA degree in Business/Accounting so that I could transfer to a 4 year university. It took me an extra year at the community college, but that was cheaper than switching gears while at a 4 year university.

I don't regret it one bit. I can interior design for myself and only have to please myself :)