by Pete Barba

Pete’s Thoughts…

When I was younger I was appropriately labeled as a daydreamer.  School was too boring and my thoughts were too interesting to pay attention in class.  Why care about ancient history when you can dream about water slides and space travel?  

While my daydreaming is no longer overly pervasive, it still actively lives in me.  I am never bored because the creative voice inside me is always talking, planning, creating and building.  The tree fort that the kids and I built over the last year is the result of hours of dreaming, designing and planning before the idea ended up on paper, much less built out of lumber.  The next tree fort is even bigger, higher, and crazier and is already being planned, deep in the three dimension design studio that lives inside my mind.

It’s not just tree forts, kitchen remodels, COVID shelters and other physical projects that start in my daydreams.  It is also travel ideas, new food recipes, inspirational posts (like this one) and sometimes “crazy Pete ideas” that marinate in the deep crevices of my cerebrum, sometimes long before they come to reality.  Our current trip around the world started out as a crazy idea, marinated for years, was planned for over a decade, and is now a reality.

One of the most common questions we are asked is, “How do you take a year off to travel with your family?”  In a later post, I’ll discuss the logistics and planning, but I firmly believe the biggest obstacle to following our dreams is ourselves.  We are taught from an early age that you have to go to school, get good grades, go to work from age 20 to 65, then retire.  THEN maybe if you are healthy enough and have enough saved up, you get to take time to travel, to rest, to spend time with your grandkids or take up hobbies and sports. (Is golf really a sport?!?!)  Unfortunately for many those dreams don’t happen, because by that time their health has started to decline or they have too many financial responsibilities.

My favorite inspirational quote is, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”  Ponder that.  No really, right now.  Close your eyes, sit still for a minute, and just dream about what you would do.  Travel more?  Spend more time with your kids?  Learn to play an instrument?  Read more often?  Climb a mountain?  Jump off a cliff paragliding?  Then ask yourself why you aren’t doing that right now or at least planning for it.

[Intentional break for you, our friend, to dream.  It’s ok, we’ll wait 😄]

In our last post, we shared that we went paragliding.  Many of you were shocked that Kate would hurl herself off a mountain attached to a glorified bed sheet.  But some were inspired to try something outside their comfort zone.  To those we inspired, thank you, that puts a smile on our faces.  We write this blog not to brag, but to inspire you, challenge you and share our view of the world.    

My second favorite quote is, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”  Remember as a child that thrill you got jumping off the high dive, or the excitement of getting on a plane?  Do you miss that rush of pushing your boundaries?  If everyday life is what makes you happy and alive, great!  But to those of you who seek adventure or are restless beings who wander, I dare to ask, are you feeding your soul?

So I challenge you.  Try something new.  Dare to dream.  Learn a new hobby.  Plan for an adventure.  Don’t wait for tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, next decade, retirement, etc.  Start now.  Yes, today.  Start dreaming, start planning, start living your best lives.  Not the life that was written for you, but the story that you write for yourself.  

Life is short; your healthy years are even shorter.   What are you waiting for?  “None of us are getting out of this life alive.”  “Cemeteries are filled with indispensable people.”  “No one ever said on their deathbed, I wish I had worked more.”  These are not just things people say, they are truths.  Please follow your dreams.  You may take a few risks and make a few wrong turns, but if you choose to pursue those dreams, you won’t fail.  

Thanks for reading to the end!  Next we return to our travel stories in Bavaria, Germany! Don’t forget to check out our past stories and subscribe for future articles as well.  Find us on Facebook and Instagram for bonus content!  As always, if you are planning a trip to any location we visit we are happy to provide more details and opinions, so feel free to contact us.