I got to thinking about “Girls.” The HBO show, that is. I was recently watching the season three episode, Free Snacks. Hannah Horvath (portrayed by the wonderfully honest Lena Dunham) gets a job at GQ only to realize that her dreams of becoming a writer might fade with the allure of corporate America and well, free snacks. Hannah’s coworkers, all of whom consider themselves to be writers, have given up on writing creatively. Hannah is outraged and simply cannot understand how writers would give up their dreams so quickly. She doesn’t want this to happen to her. So Hannah sets a schedule. She decides to write every night for three hours. When she arrives home, she quickly falls asleep clutching her laptop like a teddy bear. Will she keep up with her dream? I sure hope so.

It made me wonder, can any of us keep up with our dreams after signing for jobs that keep us in the world of free gym memberships and unlimited Sun Chips? Is the ability to pay rent and eat at nice restaurants more of a draw than our dream? Do we have to give up our dreams? And if we do, are we a sellout, or just practical? I would like to believe that I can keep up with my dream of becoming a novelist while maintaining a career. I’ve always wanted to be a writer: it means more to me than anything. And I’d hope that my life wouldn’t get in the way of that dream. And I hope Hannah can follow that philosophy, too.