As you slowly sink into sleep each night, often with the thoughts of the upcoming day and the past's events weighing heavy on your shoulders, your mind eventually wanders into what we know as dreaming.  However, it is that stage in between lying down to sleep and actually falling asleep that I value.  Although what we usually consider dreaming follows sleep, in my opinion, true dreaming takes places when you are completely alert yet incredibly relaxed.  I allow my mind to run completely free just about me and my life, without the worries of school and others.  As someone who constantly focuses on long term goals, my thoughts often are occupied by the prospects my future.  This is not so much regarding college or common things we usually associate with the word “future” but more so in regards to things that are precious to me and my interests.  Although sometimes I imagine surreal scenarios, most of my dreams consist of me making predictions and allowing them to guide me on my way to pursuing all of the things that I desire.  I am a person who keeps her prospects open and experiments with new ideas.  I pride myself in knowing what I want and having the motivation and the drive to attain it.  The inspiration and confidence that I take with me on a daily basis comes from things such as my role models as well as my overall interests and allows me to follow the track to achieve my goals.
    There are very few things that I know definitely about my life.  I could tell you that I love my family, I love my boyfriend, and that the only true thing that I want to do with my career choice is to be in fashion.  However, it frustrates me to put myself on the list of millions of teenage girls around the world who are convinced they want to be involved in fashion.  I often feel that girls say to themselves “I like to shop, clothes are kind of cool, and I do not really want to do a traditional job so hey I could be in fashion!”  Although I will not deny that I, like many of those girls, feel that same way, in relation to the number of people who are actually serious about making their lives in fashion and that actually succeed to the number of girls that say that fashion is where they want to be when they grow up, I feel that it has become incredibly stereotypical and, thus, not taken seriously, for girls to want to be a part of fashion.  I do not want to  be merely added to that list or have people say that it is unrealistic or just a phase for me to pursue this career.
    I, on the other hand, am enthralled by fashion and have an intense love for style.  I would be perfectly content sitting for hours on end just reading Vogue or watching fashion documentaries.  You will laugh reading this, but I will walk into a store or open a magazine and get almost giddy with the arrival of new trend reports or seeing something that really grabs my eye. 
    As a child, I would go to the office with my father who is CEO of Nina Footwear, my family’s business, and be happy simply watching everything around me.  I would stare at the city, which at such a young age seemed to be moving at the speed of light, as well as everyone around the office.  People used to ask me “You are not bored?,” but I, of course, was not.  I was having the time of my life surrounded by so many talented people, so much creativity, and felt so connected to what was going on. One of my earliest memories is playing with a ring of my father’s color swatches and organizing and reorganizing the sample pairs of shoes by color or style that he would bring home.              
    Although fashion is usually associated with design, I am most definitely not an art student.  Yet, in a store filled with the same boring shoes I can spot the one unique and interesting pair from a mile away.  I do not know what you would call that.  Maybe you would say I have “an eye” or a good sense of fashion.  Whatever you choose to call it, its a big part of why I love fashion so much.  I have a good sense of color and a critical eye as to what looks “right.”  As I have grown older I have formed my own style.  It is elegant, classy, and timeless yet young and with the trends.  Although I have many style icons and role models, I could definitely name my top three who are much of the reason that I have been pushed to pursue this dream of mine. 
    First off, there is my family.  Nina Footwear is a business started by my great-uncle and my grandfather and is now continued  by my father, my uncle, and their cousin.  My grandfather and my father share that same eye that I love to show off.  I have gone shopping with them and, although I am trying to lose some of their inherited stubbornness, they have encouraged me to buy a random item saying it will be the next “big thing” and, after refusing like a Silverstein, six months or so later it will be on the cover of every fashion magazine.  Their approval means so much to me.  As I learn from them and improve my knowledge about fashion as well as my awareness and sharpen my sense of style and get even a simple nod of their head or a smile, an unbelievable sense of success and happiness washes over me.  I see how much both of them have accomplished for themselves and their families and how much they are respected and I know I want to be like that.  I am so proud of my family, my heritage, and both make me much of what I am today and have pushed me to achieve this goal.
    Then, there are people like Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel.  Hepburn was such a wonderful woman on the inside with so much talent and with such a good heart, and, in addition, on the outside she developed a classic style which continues to be prominent today.  She formed her own “look,” entirely distinct and I admire that originality in a person.  All of her fashion choices were tasteful and distinct while projecting this amazing ora of glamour.  I would hope to think that much of her taste parallels my own.  Coco Chanel is another amazing woman.  She broke the mold numerous times of what is “appropriate” for a woman to wear and, some might argue, assisted the rise of feminism while making a name for herself which to this day, is associated with the words chic, elegant, and timeless.  Despite the controversial things going on in her life as well as the stress of running her own business, she continued to persevere against all of these obstacles and created a fashion house synonymous with style.  Both of these women have many of the same qualities and those that I hope I can live up to some day. 
    So as I climb into bed and I hug my covers and nestle my head into my pillow I  hope that I will continue to be motivated and persevere.  I hope that I will have the emotional and physical stamina to make a name for myself and a life which I will be proud of and that I will love. I hope that I never let anyone try to dissuade me from my goals.  I want to retain my own unique style and live up to my icons.  I try to picture all of the colors around me--the colors of all of the faces around me, the bright lights of the surrounding city, the light pastels, funky prints, deep solids, and simple blacks of my company’s creations.  I see Coco Chanel’s classic suits and quilted handbags.  I see Audrey Hepburn’s beautiful ball gowns. I smile wide as I picture receiving a nod or a wink from my grandfather or father. I try to imagine that I am living my dream.