On Dreams
It's funny, every day I wake up and tell my husband how happy I am that we've relocated to Germany. I feel at peace, and very content. I started visiting Hannover in 1999. I've been coming over each year since, and when I got married in 2001, we began to visit each year for 2 months at a time (usually in the Fall) staying at a hotel in the List for the entire period. It really made me fall in love with the life and culture and I found myself missing it when I returned to Boston.
After a few years of staying in a hotel, we decided to rent the current flat that we are living in which belonged to my husband's grandmother. It was gut renovated for us, and so when we started renting it in April 2008 we felt like this was going to be it -- we would slowly embark on our relocation. We've been planning to relocate to Hannover since we married, almost ended up in Santa Monica, but ultimately we knew that our hearts belonged here where my husband has roots and where I have history for the past 11 years and given that I'm young, that's a good chunk of my adult life. It has taken us many years of planning before we could do it. But the reward is that we are here not and the dream has come true. To be living in this city for the past 30.5 weeks makes me feel like the I can do anything now.
Relocating, especially by your own will, is empowering and exciting. Yes, there are challenges but nothing that I wouldn't deal with back home. Today I was thinking about spring and how, out of all 11 years of traveling back and forth between here and the states, I've never seen spring in Germany! I am definitely going to enjoy this "first" and plan to take a ton of day trips this month now that the class I was teaching for the past 7 weeks wrapped up today. And my German is coming a long well -- I should be beginning formal classes soon as I'm still awaiting the new schedule for spring.
I'm really proud of my husband and I for taking the leap of faith, having the determination and courage, and going for our dreams. It feels good to be on the other side of the mountain now and the only thing I can think about is how excited I am to enjoy my new life here. And how encouraged I am to now go for the next dream on my list now that I've successfully made this one come true. That's the thing about setting and reaching goals -- the more you reach, the greater your confidence, drive, determination and happiness.
I'm really proud of my husband and I for taking the leap of faith, having the determination and courage, and going for our dreams. It feels good to be on the other side of the mountain now and the only thing I can think about is how excited I am to enjoy my new life here. And how encouraged I am to now go for the next dream on my list now that I've successfully made this one come true. That's the thing about setting and reaching goals -- the more you reach, the greater your confidence, drive, determination and happiness.
What is your current dream, the one you are working towards? What dream have you recently made come true for yourself? I'd love to know...
(image: holly becker for haus maus)
Comments
and the dream i work on is our little label.I hope this year we can go some steps forward with all motivation and support i got the last weeks...;)...have a wonderful first spring in germany...
My current dream is to be a self-supporting photographer and set designer and live overseas. Latest dream realized: finally creating a healthy fitness schedule for myself.
Where do I begin? all of your recent posts about dreams and goals have really resonated with me. i even printed out that one you had about sitting down with your husband and making a list of your goals with him. I showed it to my husband and it got us talking about our own goals and desires. Our BIG goals are to finish school. This will take him 4 years from now and half of that for me. We are hoping that my husband gets accepted into a graduate program that will relocate us for the 3 yrs he is there. We are itching to experience a new city. (both of us have lived in the same area in the same city our entire lives.)
We can't move on to the next chapter, children, until school is finished. We will be married for 10 yrs by the time we finish and will be 30 yrs old. "Real life" (working) slowed us down with school in the beginning- and it wasn't until recently that we both realized that we would regret it if we didn't finish it before children. So we are plugging along and even though I will b having my first when everyone I know is working on their seconds and thirds, I wouldn't trade this process of working toward my dreams with my husband for anything. I have this feeling we will feel as fulfilled and as at peace (as you do in Germany) when we are finished.
sorry to go on forever!
i also recently posted on this subject here:
http://perfectlytaylord.blogspot.com/2010/03/im-rebel.html
-Taylor
But I feel I need time away, regularly, and that place might be a major city in this down under country of mine that I've never been interested in. Why do we get these ideas/urges and how do we know when to honour them? x
Both of will do just about anything not to have a real, married to our work, kind of job. I did that once, and it was good for the job, not so good for the marriage.
We are ready and open to resume all the worldly possibilities of commerce, and enjoy the international dollar exchange.
Lately, I have been obsessed with the generally Santa Barbara life, and have been spending more and more time up there.
I am a major "manifest" maker.
The latter is more likely for us, I'm not sure my husband would want to live permanently outside the U.S. but I am quite sure he'd be on board with a little rural farmhouse in the U.S. once we're finished with the military. I'm saving my pennies!
Germany is one place I'd never considered moving to, but now we're here, even if it's only temporary, I adore it and don't want to leave!
For the longterm: a family and a home of my own.
I hope you will enjoy your first spring in Germany as I do mine on Long Island
Did you deal with family members not wanting you to leave?
Shorter-term, we would love to spend some time living in Brussels, which my work makes a real possibility.
Miriam
Moving here, actually moving anywhere other than my home town, was my last goal. Now I'm working on running my etsy shop from Europe. It's proving harder than I thought. But I won't give up.
1. Freedom
2. Great flat
As I have the rest I just need a little time... And luck! Well, this is what I wish you - and everyone who's not scared to talk about their dreams!
For me, a dream I've made come true: Living in Europe! I've been in Holland since August 2008, and am staying until sometime late this year.
My next big dreams to accomplish: Move back to the States (meaning my husband, who is Dutch, will move there for the very first time)
and
Publish a novel. I'm writing it right now.
They're both pretty big things that require quite a bit of care, but I'm confident that I can make them happen and it'll feel great when I do!
My current dream: To find our dream home. We are in the market.
Most recent dream realized. I had my paintings shown and my name mentioned on a national television program, Cityline. Usually if a painting of mine is shown it's just a prop, part of a set, but today I was mentioned by Kimberley Seldon and she described my work beautifully.
I am really so glad for you, that the move to Germany turned out so well for you and your husband. It was a brave step of you and it is great to see that your bravery is rewarded now by so many positive things and experiences. I hope you will have a wonderful first Spring in Germany so that it will last with you as a wonderful memory in the future.
Regarding the dreams: I have had a lot of dreams. Some came true - like living and working in Africa for a while - others never came true - like having my own family with - lets say - five little boys ;o) -. There are dreams deep in my heart which I rather guess than grasp or just not really dared to dream. Life has taught me, that on one side dreams are good to keep us moving and alive but dreams also can lure us into wrong directions and lead us to waste a lot of our time and energy, etc. For me this is the difficult part of dreams, to decide which dreams are the ones to follow and which dreams to put aside and just let be dreams. Does this make any sense to you? It's a bit difficult for me to explain in English.
Anyway, I enjoy reading your blog and I love how often you make us think and rethink and become inspired. thanks for this!
Liisa
All things nice...
Mine is to have a creative career and bring some extra money from that for my little family. I´m on that road and so far I feel much better with my work than before. When I turned 30 I changed my mind completely and I started to look inside to find a new career. Now that I found it I´m happy!! I´m a photographer now :)
Love your inspirational ideas Holly!
You can read about my journey in my blog
http://www.nestdecorating.typepad.com
xox
I'm not entirely sure what my dreams are. It's not something I've really thought too much about, wrapped up as I've been for the past 13 years in raising my family.
Now I'm getting some time to myself it is something that I think about now and then. But I'm still at a bit of a loss!
I'd love to do something creative, with photography and maybe more writing. I think I'd like to set up a non-profit organisation to help schools create and manage their gardens to encourage children to get grubby.
Hmmm. Maybe I *do* know! LOL! xx
PS. I will def be checking in on your Germany adventures, too!
I look forward to coming into my own as an artist, living as debt free as possible, learning Deutsch for my German better half, and moving to Berlin in the coming years. Exciting stuff and hopefully worth all of the stress of my current day to day experience!
Have a wonderful spring in Germany. It is beautiful.
M
My dream was to return home to Australia after living in Canada for 7 years with my Polish-Canadian husband. I did that 4 years ago and I have been working on my dream of making my screen-printed fabric/products business a profitable one. I am proud that I have started this from nothing and am beginning to see the rewards of perseverance.
My next dream is for us to move into our own home and build a bigger studio. No more house or studio rentals or commuting to work would make me happy.
I think I just have to remember the dream and that I will find something better very soon.
Thanks Holly!
My dreams have been the same since I can remember. But now, after a few years of stepping off my path, I begun to work towards realizing them.
I dream of making my creative business successful.
I dream of having children, at least 3, living on a beautiful modern farm (contemporary minimalistic design of glass & wood), but with a veggie and herb garden...and probably some chickens. :)
my first comment on your wonderful blog(s) :)
Funny that my dream of traveling became true now, and sent me out of Germany through California and San Francisco. What makes me smile the most is that my high school sweetheart proposed to me in that time...
I couldn`t imagine all this months before, was just stressed from working, studying and long-distance relationship. But now I feel so motivated to take my next steps and finish my master degree as a graphic designer.
I want to work and I want to live with my husband and I want to have children and some ducks and a donkey and some sheep and - I want it ALL : ) Milla
my current dream is to have my business support myself and my two beautiful children. I am working really hard to have it happen and I cannot wait to be rewarded!! I have hope!