The funny thing about dreams is that once you achieve one, you become a heck of a lot more self-assured about what you can do in life.
I'm hardly an impetuous person, so it took me five and a half years to embark on my dream trip around the world.
And as those travels became fully realized, it was only natural to take stock of the new me, and come up with a new dream to pursue.
Last year, my experiences traveling and blogging coalesced into one succinct desire:
Location Independence!
I want to make enough money from blogging to live and work anywhere in the world.
Four months ago, my parents sold their house in Virginia, and I knew it was my opportunity to take a leap of faith and see if Dream 2.0 was feasible.
I moved back to Medellin, Colombia, to continue building a location independent business from a foreign city I already knew and loved.
While I've been tracking my monthly online income for four years now, I had no way to predict what would happen going forward.
Would building websites continue to pay off, affording me the lifestyle I sought in Colombia and beyond, or…
…would I have to return home in a few months, tail between my legs, with my meager savings, once again depleted?
Thankfully, I can report that my income has risen to new heights since leaving home.
To paraphrase Paul Coehlo from The Alchemist, when you really want something, the universe conspires to help you achieve it.
And the lifestyle I imagined for myself those 11 months living and working in my parent's spare bedroom, including location independence, is now my day-to-day reality in Medellin.
I've settled into a new, 20th-floor apartment with mountain views.
Wilson, one of my Colombian roommates, enjoys cooking. Therefore, I'm treated to homemade Colombian meals regularly.
He has a genial old Labrador named Tobias who lays around all day, ensuring my blood pressure never gets too high.
My other roommate, Jorge, is a friendly medical student though hardly ever around.
It's a 10-minute walk to the gym, which I try and hit three times a week.
And it's a 10-minute walk in the opposite direction to the dance studio where I take private salsa lessons.
I've made a few good friends since returning, developed an appreciation for babies, and had more than a few fun dates.
I've continued to explore Colombia, visiting big cities such as Cali, and small pueblos like Guatape.
My Spanish is better than ever, and if I dedicated time to studying it every day, fluency wouldn't be far off.
However, in spite of all the positives that come with this new lifestyle of mine, I've had a nagging feeling that I could be managing my time better.
I have a half dozen different projects I want to pursue, yet I've not started down the path to developing any of them since leaving home.
While I'm making enough to keep the same course in Colombia, or any number of other countries such as Thailand or Argentina, I need to work a little harder if I want to continue to see more of this world, and live in places which light up my imagination: Rio de Janeiro, Venice, Paris, New York City.
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Matt says
October 18, 2010 at 9:20 amThat’s wonderful Dave, congratulations! I’ve loved following your time in Columbia and am so happy things are going so well. You’re proof positive that if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen.
Dave says
October 18, 2010 at 12:52 pmThanks Matt! Maybe we can have an impromptu DC travel meetup when I’m back in the DC area next January. :)
ayngelina says
October 18, 2010 at 9:56 amGive it time, you’ll find the balance you’re looking for. It couldn’t happen to a nicer person.
Dave says
October 18, 2010 at 12:56 pmThanks for the wise reminder Ayngelina!
jason says
October 18, 2010 at 11:45 amThat was a wonderful post. Congratulations on your location independence :)
Dave says
October 18, 2010 at 1:15 pmGracias Jason — it’s amazing how a whole new subculture has developed over the last 5-10 years thanks to the internet and social networking.
Hansen says
October 18, 2010 at 1:29 pmGreat to see that you are living your dream! I am trying to get stuff together and make my second attempt soon. Hopefully very soon! See you around the world someday amigo.
Dave says
October 18, 2010 at 10:43 pmHey Hansen, looking forward to sharing a beer some day. I’ll be around South America for awhile I think.
Charlie says
October 18, 2010 at 1:38 pmLiving the dream, Dave. Living the dream.
Dave says
October 18, 2010 at 10:43 pmHey Charlie, it just keeps getting better!
Dustin Main | Skinny Backpacker says
October 18, 2010 at 6:12 pmCongrats Dave! Glad to hear all is well so far. I think many of us in the travel community are looking toward you to show us all the way :)
Jenny says
October 19, 2010 at 12:22 amThat is one of my favorite quotes from the Alchemist as well. I’m feeling the effects of “the universe” too.
Kudos to you for taking a leap of faith. :)
Phil says
October 19, 2010 at 12:40 pmAwesome post Dave, it puts a smile on my face. Keep living the dream!
Dave says
October 20, 2010 at 9:50 amThanks Phil :)
Fabrice says
October 20, 2010 at 5:06 pmGreat work, congratulations!
Anis Salvesen says
October 22, 2010 at 2:28 pmDave,
Wow! I read your blog and follow you on Twitter, but I had no idea you had such an inspiring story! It’s funny but my parents selling their house was also an impetus for me to follow a dream of mine – living for some months in France.
I studied French literature at university, and all of my fellow French lit concentrators participated in the study abroad program; I was unable to go (was also pre-med and somehow I couldn’t imagine studying biochemistry in French). After uni I moved back to my hometown and was living in my parents’ house. My life was pretty comfy, and I thought my time for study abroad – to actually live in Paris – had passed.
However, when my parents moved, I decided to go for it. I took a gamble finding a place to live online and buying a ticket all within a very short time. I was a bit scared to move to a new country with only a vague idea of what I was going to do, but my experience there turned out to be exactly as I had pictured – better actually!
Unfortunately, the older I get, the more risk-averse I become. It happens at the present moment I am at one of those jumping points in life, just like the one you described;I therefore found your blog post very timely. I too am a big fan of The Alchemist and its amazing message and love to see real-life examples.
Gracias por contarnos tu historia! La comparti con mi familia y con mis amigos.
– Anis
Dave says
October 24, 2010 at 4:56 pmBonjour Anis! Thanks for following my adventures on the blog and Twitter…and sharing your experiences here! I hope when you decide which fork to take, you won’t let fear be a determining factor.
Anonymous says
October 27, 2010 at 6:25 amHey Dave! I just wandered over to Blog to Travel and saw your September earnings – wow! Nicely done! My September wasn’t nearly as good as yours but, like you it sounds, October is a monster. There’s an amazing sense of satisfaction that comes with finally earning a reliable income from this internet gig. Suddenly it doesn’t feel so much like playing around online. Good luck with your new projects! Like you, I always have several things on the go but I’m making some progress as well.
Dave says
October 27, 2010 at 4:32 pmThanks Kirsty, yea September gave me a real confidence boost because every time I hit a new high, it’s only a matter of time before it’s surpassed. It’s a very encouraging trend. :)
hybrid efficiency says
October 29, 2010 at 3:18 amHowdy, I googled
Dream 2.0 – Location Independence | Go Backpacking and your internet site was in the very first few websites, you must be doing something suitable for google to like your posts so much. Have you ever considered blogging for money?
Rosario Fanizzi says
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Bonnie Manzanero says
October 30, 2010 at 5:59 amGreat synopsis of commenting and how to very well written and all that link love you just poured out, great post, if this was a forum you would have a sticky on this.
asalvesen says
November 23, 2010 at 4:09 amI read this blog post a while ago and commented, but my comment didn’t post. Recently I recommended this blog post to someone and had to look it up to share the link. Now that I’ve re-read it, I’m newly inspired and will attempt to post a comment once more:
Dave,
Wow! I read your blog and follow you on Twitter, but I had no idea you had such an inspiring story! It’s funny but my parents selling their house was also an impetus for me to follow a dream of mine – living for some months in France.
I studied French literature at university, and all of my fellow French lit concentrators participated in the study abroad program; I was unable to go (was also pre-med and somehow I couldn’t imagine studying biochemistry in French). After uni I moved back to my hometown and was living in my parents’ house. My life was pretty comfy, and I thought my time for study abroad – to actually live in Paris – had passed.
However, when my parents moved, I decided to go for it. I took a gamble finding a place to live online and buying a ticket all within a very short time. I was a bit scared to move to a new country with only a vague idea of what I was going to do, but my experience there turned out to be exactly as I had pictured – better actually!
Unfortunately, the older I get, the more risk-averse I become. It happens at the present moment I am at one of those jumping points in life, just like the one you described;I therefore found your blog post very timely. I too am a big fan of The Alchemist and its amazing message and love to see real-life examples.
Gracias por contarnos tu historia! La comparti con mi familia y con mis amigos.
Dave says
November 23, 2010 at 12:02 pmI actually remember reading your story before, and responding! I’m not sure what happened, but thank you for taking the time to share again.
I’ve found living abroad better than I imagined it as well. At the end of each 6-month stint in Colombia, I really don’t want to leave!
Www Mfeuro says
March 28, 2011 at 9:18 pmWow, very inspiring and I love the alchemist book, it’s awesome especially because it gives you the message in a different way.
wow leveling guide says
March 28, 2011 at 9:19 pmTo add, I have a similar goal, but maybe not the desire to live somewhere else all the time since I like my home a lot.