Sculpting Reality from Dreams

In Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck wrote “Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased."

The longer we've been off the road the truer that statement becomes.

Writing a travel memoir is one way to keep a trip living and breathing. Our past travels also come up in family conversations, with people we're meeting for the first time, or as we recognize locations in books and movies.

Strike That, Reverse It

But the inverse is also true. Trips begin long before movement in space and time begin.

And that space between dreaming and doing?

It's magical.

Endless Possibilities

Your imagination can run wild. Anything is possible and it's all free. Free financially. Free from physical limitations. Free from missed appointments, unmet expectations, breakdowns, or rude people.

You can take a container ship to Europe. Hike Mt. Everest. Find the reindeer people in Mongolia. Travel to the South Pole.

Grab a Chisel

To move from dreaming to doing you have to become a sculpturer. Your dreams are your raw materials.

Michelangelo supposedly said "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."

But that angel may not look like what you expected.

And that can hurt.

Grieving the Unrealistic

The process of carving reality out of a dream often involves grief. Maybe you aren't as healthy as you once were. Or your finances won't realistically support your goals. Or a place you hoped to live lacks an amenity you need.

But, as you play sculpturer shaping reality from dreams, beauty can still emerge.

A different angel is still an angel.

The Messy Middle

We're in this sculpture process now. We've found renters for our Missouri house. I moved out of my rented office. We built shelving in the garage and have started packing various things up. I'm working on a list of various projects to complete before we hop.

We've apartment-shopped in Tulsa. But the option that makes the most practical sense doesn't match my vision for a big-city sky-rise life.

So we're headed back for more apartment tours. I need to see if there's a different apartment option or if I have to chisel a little more off my vision.

A Familiar Path

It helps that we've been here before. I don't mind adapting my vision to suit reality because I know my perception of reality is incomplete. Any sacrifice will be returned many times over.

Our time on the road proved that.

From a worldly perspective we were never poorer. Imagine four of us living in a 300 square foot, wiggly, poorly insulated box. One car, one bathroom, one income. Legally considered homeless in some situations.

Yet, from our perspective, that time was one of great riches. Rich in family closeness, experiences, friendships, learning, and community.

2023 is Imminent

It's that time of year where many people set goals. It's easy to simply say "I hope you achieve your goals."

And I do.

But my greater hope is that you (and I) are open to the sculpture work, willing to adapt, and anxious to see beauty in the unexpected.

Happy New Year!