PILLOWTALK

Don’t worry. I’m not going ZAYN on your asses.

I just happen to be laying in bed, with my head on my pillow, anxiously feeling the need to write out my thoughts. And to be honest pillow talk is appropriate for the thoughts running through my mind tonight.

Tonight Sarah, Crystal and myself attended the Lion King musical in Covent Garden. It is the third musical I have seen here so far, and was absolutely incredible, amazing, fantastic, and perfection. Like every other musical I’ve witnessed… You just can’t beat a show in London. It’s almost like a right of passage.

But I had a moment in the theater.

It was in the middle of a climactic musical piece when I looked around and found myself 100% living in that moment. I could feel the vibrations of the actors voice box, the facial expressions on the supporting actors were so vivid and clear, and the entire audience was completely focused on the stage.

I knew in that moment, that I could not have been ‘living’ any more than I was right then. That I was taking full and total advantage of what was in front of me. I had imagined myself watching theater in London for months prior to the moment it was actually occurring. Just like many other moments this year.

I’ve imagined myself standing under Big Ben.

I’ve imagined picnicking in Hyde Park.

I’ve imagined walking down Portobello Road like Julia Roberts in Notting Hill.

I’ve imagined witnessing the cliffs in Scotland.

I’ve imagined trekking through rice terraces in Bali.

All of which I completely took advantage of and noted to remember the experience forever. And to think it all was possible because I dreamed of doing all of it. And decided to follow through with those dreams.

My original plan before traveling the world this year was to move to New York city. I had experienced heart break, and my mission from that point forward was to make a life changing move for myself. So New York was a go. For quite some time I might add. I received guide books for Christmas and had made plans with my aunt to crash with her until I could find some work.

But then I thought even bigger.

I have always envied those who pick up their lives and travel to different countries all over the world. Even those who just put in effort to make travel a priority in their lives.

And then I had a passing thought.

What if I dreamed a little bigger?

No to domestic. Yes to international.

So, I scratched my New York, Sex in the City, East Coast plan.

And I took it to a tea drinking in London, wine tasting in Italy, picnicking in Paris, island hopping in Croatia, sun bathing in Spain, elephant riding in Bali, beer drinking in Germany, hiking in the Swiss Alps, loch ness monster hunting in Scotland, maypole dancing in Sweden reality.

All because I decided I wanted to.

I don’t think I need to preach on and on about the cliche of following your dreams and believing in yourself.

But I can advise that if you want something badly enough, it can be possible. It isn’t always. But it can be.

Each human is dealt a different hand in life. And even so, life can get messy, making it difficult to achieve the things you desire most. But occasionally, you can have a far fetched, ‘never gonna happen’, dream in your head. And you can make it a reality. Through sacrifice, determination, and faith that it will actually happen. That’s where the believing in yourself comes in. But in my case, it was more so believing in the dream. That it was possible and in reach.

So how did I do it?

To begin with, I moved back in with my parents for two years. Which really wasn’t much of a sacrifice. Home cooked meals and the best company to join me as I binge watched ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S.’ re-runs. I also worked two jobs. Law firm Monday through Friday and the tasting room on the weekends. I commuted with my dad to work for the first year, meaning I didn’t own a car. All of these things allowed me to save money.

And afford a trip to Cabo, Mexico with my friends from college.

I have students loans and now a car payment, but even so, this lifestyle allowed me to budget these things into my year long travel plan. Again, we all come from different walks of life and are at different stages of our lives. But I get to wake up each day with the feeling that my reality is now better than my dreams. And the feeling won’t last forever. Eventually the money will run out and new plans will be made featuring resumes, a rice and canned beans diet, and still student loans and car payments.

But the goal should always be that feeling.

It’s not always easy, it usually includes sacrifices, but eventually you’ll find your world in perfect harmony. Completely living in a moment and realizing why it is worth it to chase the dream.

After all, it’s a paradise and it’s a war zone folks. Amirate?