Are You Living Your Dreams?

Recently, a dear friend asked me if I was living my dreams. She wanted to know, as a little girl growing up in Milwaukee, did I dream of becoming a mother, wife, stepmother? Did I dream of leaving Milwaukee? Did I dream of being a writer? Did my dreams change over time? Do I think about fulfilling those unfulfilled dreams? And my answers were yes and no.

As a young girl I wanted to be a secretary … and I wanted to be rich. Lol, what was I thinking? Does secretary and rich even go together? Where some children would play house or doctor, I was using some of my dresser drawers as file cabinets. Ripping out magazine articles (Teen Magazine) and filing them in ABC order so that I could go back to them and read them later. I loved order and organizing even in my early teens. Now that I think about it, I guess as a virtual assistant, I’m living this dream … except for the rich part (so far).

As I got older, I wanted to be an Architectural Engineer. I’ve always excelled in math, drafting, and art classes. Instead of pursuing that dream, I became a sheet metal worker. The money was off the hook (lol) and I could do some of the things I enjoyed (reading blueprints, creating/designing something out of nothing and using tools). Man, those were some good times. Being a sheet metal worker was not necessarily a dream, but some wonderful experiences, and opportunities came out of it. With the amazing men I worked with I learned everything from how to replace a roof on a house, to changing out my car radiator, to the ins-and-outs of investing (especially in real estate). All of that while still in my early 20s.

Not sure if this was my dream, or part of my parent’s dream, but while going through my sheet metal apprenticeship, I also attended college. I come from an entrepreneur family so it was (still is) in my blood to be my own boss. Though I enjoyed construction work – I knew I’d be my own boss someday, so I got my degree in business management.

As for dreaming of marriage– didn’t think much about it until I was in my late 20s, early 30s. Almost ten years ago I married a wonderful man who has brought more joy into my life than I could’ve dreamed. Though being a mom wasn’t on my must do list, I have several wonderful godchildren, and I became a stepmom to two amazing children.

As for dreaming of leaving Milwaukee … well I dreamed more about leaving the snow (lol). So a year after my husband and I married, we moved to one of the most beautiful cities in the country – San Diego. Not only did we leave the snow, but it was around 180 days before it even rained! Though I love a rainy day here and there, I quickly got use to daily sunshine and an average temperature of 72. As for Georgia, as a kid visiting every year (my parents are from Georgia), I remember thinking that I’d love to live in Atlanta some day. At the time, it seemed livelier than Milwaukee. Now that I’m here … it’s okay.

The one thing that I’ve dreamed of doing but haven’t done – is own a coffee lounge. Mind you, I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I love the atmosphere of coffee shops. I haven’t totally given up on this dream (I even have a great name for it), but I think I’ll hold off on it until we move back (if/when) to the west coast. Getting our car registered in Georgia was a pain. I can only imagine what I’d have to go through to open a coffee lounge!

As for writing, it wasn’t a dream. I’ve always journaled, but I didn’t dream of a three book deal until a few years ago. We’ll see what happens (smile).

So, to answer my friend’s main question – for the most part, I feel I’ve lived my dreams. What about you – are you living your dreams?

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