[F]or the first time in 10 years, I'm a man without a dream.
I came to this realization last month, which was also my 5-year blogiversary (blogging anniversary), and it has thrown me for a loop.
On any given day, for an entire decade, I could close my eyes and envision where I wanted to see myself in X years.
Now when I close my eyes, there's nothing.
How did I get here? And more importantly, what next?
Both are questions I've been pondering lately.
Dream #1 - Take a 'Round the World Trip
In March 2002, I was part of a massive layoff at CareerBuilder.com. This unceremonious termination became the catalyst for my decision to take a trip around the world.
For the following 5 ½ years, I worked in the call center of a health insurance company. I found purpose in my work at the time, but always knew it was just a stepping stone toward making my travel dream a reality.
In November 2007, I submitted my resignation, enjoyed a few farewell happy hour drinks, and boarded an Air Tahiti Nui flight to French Polynesia.
The cool part about taking a trip around the world is how long it lasts. I felt lucky to be living my dream every day for 18 months.
Dream #2 - Achieve Location Independence
By the time I ran out of money in July 2009, I'd already fallen in love with Medellin.
All I could think about was getting to the point where I could support myself from my blogs so I could go back.
As my RTW trip concluded, location independence became my new dream.
After 11 months of living with my parents (thanks again Mom and Dad!) working on the blogs, launching a new travel blogging community, and networking my butt off, I reached the point where I was ready to move back to Medellin.
My leap of faith paid off, and my monthly earnings continued to grow. I reached my goal of averaging $3,000 per month in 2010.
This was the figure I felt I needed to reach to be able to live just about anywhere in the world I wanted.
In 2011, I earned 20% more, which further solidified my ability to live and work wherever I want. My dream had been about ascertaining a certain lifestyle, not bucketloads of cash.
I left Colombia to begin seeing the rest of South America, starting with Ecuador and Peru. In March, I'll be visiting Argentina and Chile for the first time with G Adventures.
Dream #3 - ?
The funny thing about achieving your dreams is how quickly your new reality can become normal.
You may envision where you want to be for years.
You daydream at work. You write about it. You fantasize.
And then when you finally get there, it (hopefully) is as awesome as you imagined. Yet, inevitably, that appreciation for what you've achieved starts to fade with time.
Perhaps it's human nature. Been there, done that, what's next?
I'm exactly where I want to be, and this is not to say I'm not grateful for that, but after 4 years of traveling and living freely, I'm ready for a new challenge.
Of course I want to continue traveling, living abroad, and blogging about it (that's not something I see changing in the near future), but I also want to have a new dream to chase.
I want to have a grand vision again. I want to see myself achieving something awesome when I close my eyes.
Now if I can just figure out what that is.
Lane says
Congrats on your achievement, and hopefully your heart will direct you to your next path.
Dave says
Thanks Lane. That's exactly the kind of advice that's gotten me this far.
Marina K. Villatoro says
Its funny, I was just going through the same thing. Now that a lot of my goals and dreams have been materialized , what now.
I'm glad I'm not the only one going through this:) It's kind of weird!!!
Dave says
It really is weird, especially once you've felt that sense of achievement (and want to feel it again).
Tony Chan says
Amazing blog entry Dave! You're really an inspiration to us all!
Dave says
Thanks Tony :)
Nomadic Samuel says
Hey Dave,
It's sometimes difficult to go through a transitional stage when you're unsure of what you want to do or don't have a particular dream to chase after; however, you should rest confident knowing that you've been able to manifest your other dreams into reality, so when the 'new' one pops up you can start taking steps towards achieving it with confidence.
Dave says
Thanks Sam, that's exactly what I needed to hear. At least now that I'm aware of all this, I can start to think about what comes next.
jRo says
Congratulations Dave! You are an inspiration!
Perhaps now that you're "professional" life seems mostly sorted out maybe you should focus on your social or the non-work related aspects of your life?
jRo
Dave says
Good point jRo. I actually have been working on the social side of things all along (which explains 18 months in Colombia), and why I'm going on my 4th month in Lima, Peru.
I don't have the same drive to see as many new places as humanely possible as I once did. I'm trying to figure out what kind of balance would be good -- maybe 9 months living somewhere, 3 months of travel.
Kevin Post says
Fantastic blog entry my friend. I think that sharing this lifestyle with a Colombian/Brazilian beauty is the next phase ;)
Dave says
Yea man, I'm still looking!
Ryan says
This thought just came to me... why not spend the next 7 years becoming a black belt in jiu jitsu? ;)
Dave says
No doubt a noble goal, and there's no telling where it might lead, but not quite what I'm looking for. I do intend to start taking tango lessons in Buenos Aires next month :)
Philip says
Great vulnerable post Dave. It does seem to be in the air. I have been doing a process of goal setting for the next few years, and like you, I do appreciate what I have achieved. I wish you good fortune and the ability to listen deeply to the whispers of your heart as you unfold this next chapter.
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures says
I think this is a good problem to have, as all roads are open to you!!!
Dave says
Thanks Andi, you're right. It was just a weird realization to suddenly have.
Charlie says
It's remarkable to see all the change that's happened over the last 5 years. I remember when you passed through China and visited, it feels like a very long time ago. And us living in Reston when you were working at Career Builder feels like another lifetime all together. There's been so much progress in that time, in terms of personal development, freedom, career, and so on.
You'll be in Medellin for the time being, right? I will come and find you. I'm coming to South America with Nemo.
Dave says
Thanks Charlie, it's been amazing to watch what you've done for yourself in China.
I'm actually going on my 5th month in Peru, with most of that here in Lima. Will be in Argentina for March and April, and not sure after that, but it'll be somewhere in South America. I do intend to get back to Medellin for a few months at some point.
Christine says
This is awesome, Dave! Congratulations is much needed--well-done! I've still got heaps of dreams to sort out--living in NYC, roadtripping across the USA and NZ, traveling through South America. Now that I've checked Nice and Australia off the dream list--I feel very confident about the rest :)
Dave says
And you should! It's been amazing to watch you the last few years. Seems like just yesterday you were taking on the gelatto-a-day challenge in Nice, and now you're climbing the rocks in Krabi, Thailand.
Oh, and living in New York City remains a longstanding dream of mine too (and my parents, who always imagined me and my brother sharing an apartment together, though I don't think it'll ever happen).
Rob says
Sure you'll figure it out Dave, you have a good track record so far.
Tips hat,
Dave says
Thanks Rob, very Stephen Colbert of you!