What is your dream job? Among Vocation Vacations' top 20: actor, chocolatier, voice-over artist, wedding planner

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Everyone has a dream, right? Like rock star fantasy camps, Vocation Vacations gives ordinary folks the chance to live out a dream for a moment. It is the brainchild of Brian Kurth, a former business executive from Oregon. His company, born in 2004, connects curious people with mentors who have the dream jobs they've only, well, dreamed about pursuing. Here are the 20 most-popular "Vocation Vacations," according to Kurth.

Actor
Yeah, we've all dreamed of being a Robert DeNiro or Angelina Jolie -- the lights, the fans, the glamour. How could you not love being a famous star of the screen or stage?

Baker
If you like to see something come of your work, then perhaps you're meant to be a baker. Because best of all, after you're through admiring it, you can eat your work.

Bed-and-breakfast owner
There's nothing quite as calming as spending time around the house. As a bed-and-breakfast owner, you can -- with a few guests.

Brew master
Consider yourself a beer connoisseur? Brew up your own drinks and maybe sneak in a sip on the job.

Chocolatier
Like bakers and brew masters, chocolatiers get to sample their work. But going overboard might be a problem. How tough is it to be surrounded by chocolate all day? Talk about temptation...

Dog day-care owner
Plenty of people love pets. Some want to be with pets for work. Hence the dog day-care owner.

Fashion buyer/designer
If "Project Runway" and Posh Spice have taught us anything, fashion designers can come from anywhere. After all, Mrs. David Beckham is launching her own line of denim and sunglasses.

Hotel manager
For the downtown, tall-building types, nothing beats a good hotel. You could run one and be that person with a smile always ready to greet the next visitor.

Music producer
OK so you don't want Phil Spector's legal woes -- or his hair -- but you'd like his day-job as the brains behind some of the biggest pop hits ever.

Nonprofit director
In this role, you may actually make a difference. For example, the nonprofit Strongest Link provides support services to improve the health and quality of life for Essex County residents living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. And in what other line of work do you get presented with giant checks, like this one from Ira Audi?

Photographer
In the age of camera-phones and digital cameras, everyone tries to be a photographer to some degree, but so few are actually good at it. If your skills are sharp, perhaps you'll click in this role.

Private investigator
Hollywood P.I. Anthony Pellicano stands accused of wiretapping celebrities, including Sylvester Stallone and Gary Shandling, and charged with wiretapping and racketeering, among other crimes. He may have taken it too far, but we've all secretly dreamed of being a snoop with an old office like in an old black-and-white movie.

Sports announcer
If you've got the voice and the requisite "excitement" in it, you could be the next Eddie Palladino. He's the Boston Celtics' announcer, who took over back when Jim O'Brien was coach.

TV producer
Are you a fan of the fast-paced, "lights, camera, action" world of TV journalism? Maybe you're a good fit for the behind-the-scenes look that a producer gets.

Voice-over artist
At first glance, Scott Chapin's job as the voice behind the news promos seems pretty great. But make no mistake about its difficulty -- "in back-to-back 10-minute sessions throughout a 10-hour workday, Chapin records voice-overs for 20 TV stations nationwide, from Miami and Atlanta to Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle," Globe reporter Johnny Diaz writes.

Wedding planner
OK, so Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey's 2001 movie, "The Wedding Planner," may have initially stirred your interest -- it did debut at No. 1 -- but the hectic world of wedding planning has built-in excitement. Particularly in June.

Wine store/bar owner
Like to be among the people? Debbie Lewis does. When she's in a social mood, she heads to her favorite bar, 29 Newbury -- you know, the bar that she owns.

Winemaker
Your current employer shouldn't hold sour grapes if you dream of making wine. It's a popular request due to its bold palette of responsibilities and rich job fulfillment.

Writer/publisher
Want to be a writer? Hey, so did one-time stripper Diablo Cody. And look what chancing it got her -- an Oscar for best original screenplay for "Juno."

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What is your dream job?

Photos courtesy of AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, David Kamerman/Globe Staff, Janet Knott/Globe Staff, Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for IMG, Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff, Jim Davis/Globe Staff, Bill Polo/Globe Staff

Original Source: Boston Globe