I’ve been dreaming big since I was a little girl. High and low, wild and wilder. And contrary to what some might say about it – that you live through your dreams instead of realizing them – I find that they’ve always served me. They help me think big and bigger, trust my gut and dare to take leaps, but even more so this: they make sure that I always know what it is that I actually want.
When people say they don’t know what they like to do, where they want to go in life or what their dreams are, I find it difficult to relate. I want SO much, love SO many things, dream SO big and know exactly what I desire for the future to hold that lack of time and space to fit it all in is my biggest problem. My mom always used to say it’s a blessing to be so passionate about so much, and it wasn’t until I became an adult that I fully understood what she meant. My fire is always fueled and sparking, I guess, and I’ve come to realize that’s not the case for everyone. Thankfully, Mike and I are exactly the same here. Or, perhaps not thankfully all the time… because when you have two people with the same level of curiosity and eagerness, you often end up with, let’s say, too much fun and too little time (in other words, we say “I guess we’re having a late dinner again” very often).
Back to dreaming. This is where most of it starts, and I’m still mind blown by how many – then seemingly far fetched – dreams have turned into reality. It gives me goosebumps, just thinking about it. The most important insight I bring with me from that is that whatever it is that I dream of right now, no matter how crazy and impossible it may seem, could come true as well. And that belief propels me forwards and gives me the courage to change things, dare things, say yes (and no) to things and to hope for things. It’s a super power, quite frankly. At least in my world, where worrying is frequent and self esteem a scarce commodity.
Not all dreams come true and not all dreams remain dreams though. They come and they go and they ebb and they flow. Some return and others disappear forever. Some seem silly to have ever had and some, I’d never tell anyone about. But most… turn into reality. Oh the hours I spent daydreaming about being able to move to New York. It was the only thing on my mind from morning till night, months on end. A wild and expensive adventure I didn’t dare to believe would be possible – but then I stood there, one day. Facing a brick building with a fire escape, just like in Friends, with a key to a tiny apartment that would be mine and the love of my life sitting in another. But that, we of course didn’t know then.
“9 years ago, I dreamed about New York. Today, I dream about rows of parsnips and apple tree varieties.”
Do you want to know what’s cooking in my dream factory right now? A few different things, I guess, but all similarly themed. The first one is long time leasing a chunk of a field we have just a minute from our house. If you pop through a tiny patch of woods, you enter a giant field. This is where we go wildflower picking in the summer time, and this is where we’d love to lease a patch, fence it off and turn it into a massive vegetable garden. If done right, we could go all veggie self-sufficient with that land. We dream of meters and meters of potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage. Of entire beds of tall corn plants. Of a fruit orchard. This is my goodnight daydream, actually. At night, if I feel unsettled, worried about the world or unable to sleep for another reason, I go planning the beds. Designing the whole thing in my head. Calculating the meters we need of certain things to make it through the year. Picturing the poly tunnel we’d want and the sweet potatoes and peach trees we’d have growing in there. And somewhere among parsnips and leeks and how many garlic bulbs we need for a whole year, I fade off and into sleep without even noticing. It works every time. I love this daydream so much, and both hope and believe it will come true one day. In one way or another, at least.
I also dream about not just the climate crisis being solved, but climate change as a phenomenon… well, disappearing. Not being true. Let me explain. If I could wake up to scientists saying hey, we were so wrong. Our climate isn’t collapsing at all. It’ll return to normal soon. I would be so happy. I would not feel disappointed in science or fooled by experts. I would just be so freaking happy. (Perhaps a little bummed by all the lost sleep but what the heck. You can’t have it all.) Don’t think for a second I don’t trust science, though. I’m just saying that sometimes I dream about it being wrong and the end of intense worrying. Perhaps you too?
Other things include mounting solar panels on our roof and getting an electric car. Those might need to brew for a bit, as they will need a good chunk of cash in order to appear here in the real world. But again: dreaming about them tells me how much I want them, and will therefore make me work towards turning them into reality.
Mike and I usually differentiate between dreams and goals by calling dreams the first step and goals the dreams that we now have a plan for and work actively towards. I love that progression. Letting loose ideas form into dreams and then making them goals and rolling up our sleeves. If I look back, I can see how more or less everything I and we have done has gone through that process, even though we never stated anything explicitly.
“I love that progression. Letting loose ideas form into dreams and then making them goals and rolling up our sleeves.”
I think dreaming should be on everyone’s to do list every day. Maybe do what I do, and choose wisely where your mind goes before falling asleep. Allow for your brain to be flooded with positivity, happiness and prosperity. And then… sleep on it. The next day, you’ll be one step closer to your dreams coming true. I’m sure of it.
9 years ago, I dreamed about New York. Today, I dream about rows of parsnips and apple tree varieties. Two distinctly different dreams, although both reflecting their respective time. And me, I guess. Me and my never ending passion for so many things and complete inability to be bored or have nothing to do. Good thing there are worse problems to have, wouldn’t you say? Let your mind wander and dreams form, everyone! And let us create sparkling lives full of what we truly want, be it root veggies in straight rows or way too expensive studio apartments in Manhattan.
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So positive ❤️. I do hope you can lease that parcel and keep on gowing, may be enough space for growing your legumes as well. We have our Tesla model 3 now for over a year and we really like it. But to be honest, when we were your age, we could not have afforded it.
Thank you! We hope so too. Would be such a fun, inspiring project to dig (literally) into! And happy to hear you enjoy your Tesla – hopefully we’ll be all electric soon too!