"What a waste of time!"

So, I was walking home from class the other day, and I noticed another girl from my class walking ahead of me, so I caught up and started a little conversation with her. As all accounting majors do, we eventually got to the point of talking about what we're going to do next year. I'm learning to love the conversation. It went something like this:
Stead: So, what are you doing after all this accounting stuff?
Girl: Oh, I think I'll go audit for one of the big four. You're graduating this quarter, aren't you?
Stead: yep, I'm almost done!
Girl: So, which firm are you going to go work for? Do you have any advice for my recruiting?
Stead: Well, I'm not going to go work for any of them.
Girl: Huh? So you must be recruiting then right now. A little late, but you gotta start somewhere!
Stead: Actually, I'm not recruiting now either, or ever.
Girl: So... what are you doing?( everyone who asks this asks with a pause... like they're treading on some strang unfamiliar ground)
Stead: Well, I'm going to go to Alaska for the summer and drive a tour bus.
Girl: Oh... what about after that? What about the rest of your life?
Stead: Well, next year I'm going to do an internship with a college ministry that meets at First Pres Church down on Garden Street. Have you heard of the INN?
Girl: Oh.. yeah... I think I've heard of it. So... What about your accounting degree, did you just get a degree just to get a degree?
Stead: Well... no. I trust some sort of accounting knowledge will come into play in my future, but even if not, having a four year degree still opens a lot of doors.
Girl: So... studying accounting was a total waste of time?
Stead: ...?

It was a good reminder that outside of INN and church circles, there are a lot of people who aren't going to understand what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, or why it was worth it to go to school. There are actually a lot of people within those circles that wonder too. I'm excited for the opportunity to tell them about it though. It'll be a good year!