Chasing A Dream

We took a leap to begin chasing a dream.

We packed up and left the big city. We sold our home and our businesses. We let go of all the stuff that meant something when we bought it.

The house—our home together for 12 years—was special to us. It's the place where our daughter spent her high school years and semester breaks from college. I expected that she would always call it home and someday bring our grandchildren to visit us there.

When we first bought the house, it had been a rental property for many years and wasn't in great shape. There wasn't a tree in the yard or a sprinkler system. The inside wasn't any better. The dining room had a weird color maroon paint, and the carpet looked like the indoor/outdoor variety.

Yet...we knew it could be great!

When we got ready to buy a home, it was the first one we looked at and it stayed on the market the entire time we looked around at other options. It was meant for us. We truly loved on that house…creating a bigger, better kitchen made for cooking with custom cabinets that we built, stained, and finished ourselves. There wasn't one single room we didn't touch…beautifully updated bathrooms…wood floors…a whole house water filtration system…the list goes on.

And then there were our businesses. One service business has been around for years with plenty of ups and downs. But we shouldn't keep doing something just because it seems like the responsible, grown-up thing to do.

Our other business was new and the harder one to let go. We small-batch roasted specialty coffees and have a coffee shop. It's a sweet little place where I make our own organic bakery items. The strawberry white chocolate muffins are delicious! There are days when I love it…and there are days I don't. I love our customers, but it is tiring work in a way I never imagined.  Then again, when I imagined opening up my kitchen to cook for people other than family and friends, it was in the open air facing the beach!

I look at what we built together, and I wonder why I want to leave so badly. Most people would see it as a lovely life, and I never want to seem ungrateful.

At first, I wasn't sure, so I spent time praying and searching my heart. I needed clarity because we aren't taking any unnecessary baggage with us—physical or emotional.

I don't think we are running away. When a season ends, the desire to hold on to stuff just lifts. It is simply time to go...enjoy being together and being free.

I think it comes down to this one thing:

If money were no object, where would we live? The answer is simple…we would live at the beach. Since that's where we would live in ideal circumstances, that's where we should live no matter the circumstances.

Life is meant to be lived. Fulfilling responsibilities is only part of life, not all of life.

Continue reading about our journey to living our best life with 5 Mindset Changes For The Travel Lifestyle.