I was thinking this morning that I mustn’t let this world economic mess at the moment, stop us following our dreams. Even at my poorest I have still lived my best life and I want that to continue.
Some of my fondest memories, of times when I felt happy and content, were of our camping trips, or wild camping in our battered old van. They always felt like an adventure. The simplicity of just waking up and watching the dawn as I cleaned my teeth from a cup, cooking on a beach or hillside, playing boules in the sand, flying a kite, walking through hidden coves and valleys, and treks up mountains that gave us a sense of achievement, made me feel alive. When away we rarely looked at our phones due to limited charge, and so the world with all it’s stresses and distractions was out of focus. We could concentrate our senses on what was around us. It is amazing what we noticed. Making the most of the whole day meant that we drifted into a calm sleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow.
Our days were simple and yet so fulfilling. We become so aware of the beauty around us and the wonders of nature. Time passed without us feeling that we had to fill it. Over the past 4 years we have travelled most of Britain and have discovered some of it’s treasures. I want to visit the Scottish islands and had planned to do that this year, and nearly talked myself out of it through fear of paying energy bills. My dream is to see every bit of Britain, and why should I give up my dream?
We are not rich, but we enrich our life. It would be a lot more comfortable staying in hotels, but then we would only get one holiday a year instead of lots of breaks. Life is about choices and making the most of opportunities. When the children were small and my single income would not stretch to expensive foreign holidays, we would go on those cheap coach trips abroad, travelling for 24 hours. We have such good memories.
I dreamt about the way I wanted to bring my girls up, the opportunities I wanted to give them, the experiences, and that sense that nothing is out of reach. This was at a time when I had nothing and had just escaped a very negative relationship. I did it even though we lived pay cheque to pay cheque or on a student loan. Everything is always possible. You just have to believe. My youngest wanted to explore Canada. She volunteered at a camp out there and did it. She just thought outside of the box and didn’t give up when the easy route was blocked.
We had a dream to travel around in a camper van, but due to giving up work early to live a simple life, funds were low and buying something like that was out of reach. We therefore adapted our dream by building a bed in an old transit van so that we could wild camp and still travel. We have had so much joy over the seasons, and loved ‘Bruce’ our van. It was not perfect and at times we were not sure if the engine would get us up some of the hills in places like Scotland, but that somehow added to the excitement and adventure. Obstacles don’t have to stop your dreams. If you wait until the time is right, they will never happen. Unfortunately Bruce is gone now but my dream continues. I am going to keep thinking outside of the box and live my dreams now. There is always a way. I just need to find it.
