This has to be the dream, right?

Being a professional wine-consumer? People paying you real-life currency to tell them what wine to drink, because of your personal, vast knowledge on the subject? It's like, why aren't more people pursuing careers as sommeliers?

Well, sure, not everyone likes wine (lol). But turns out it's also really damn expensive! And can be painstakingly difficult! Some of the programs that I was researching have pass-rates of 10 percent. Who knew that wine-school would be more advanced than grabbing a personal $7 jug of Carlo Rossi with a fake ID and getting sleepy-drunk with your college friends! Weird. But I'm willing to overlook these costs for what seems to be all-benefits.

I was talking to my mom about culinary school (another pipe dream) and got on the subject of wine-- as most conversations do. My parents live in Beijing and they tell me wine is a hot burgeoning market over there, and she tells me wine-pros are in high demand at hotels and new restaurants.

So to recap: 1) I like wine 2) my studies would include drinking & learning about wine in 3) a beautiful location like Italy, France or South Africa (?) and 4) It is employable in my hometown.

BASICALLY, my mom gave me the stamp of approval and we live in a world where pursuing a career as a sommelier is more stable than my current career path. WELL, SMELL YA LATER, JOURNALISM!