Happy New Year: A Look Back, and Forward

Happy 2015, friends! It’s January already, can you even believe it? As Josh and I hauled our packs around Europe and Asia the last few months, time has been funny. One minute the clock seems to be turning in slow motion, allowing us take in the fresh air, live in the moment, and just stop and reflect. Yet other times it feels like we are moving at warped speed, dashing through the airport, hustling to make it on another bus, and covering ground in a place so quickly that we wished we had just one or two (or 10) more days to explore. One thing we’ve already learned is that no matter how much time we have in a place, it never seems like enough. Time is our greatest currency.

That is probably true of life in general, outside the crazy escapade that we’re on now. When you want to be somewhere, no matter how much time you have, it will go by too quickly. What I am realizing is most important is to just be truly present for it, living each moment to its fullest, and thank God for the opportunities he has blessed us with.

Life is a journey, not a destination.

Being the first week of the new year, I can’t help but take some time to look back on this past year, and reflect.

2014.

It was a good one. A game changer, if you will. The year Josh and I decided to pursue our dreams, and to put into action something we’ve both been wanting for years.

The year started out pretty typical for us both. Moving a million miles a minute, and working our butts off at our jobs, while planning fun adventures for our free time. I had a huge work project that launched in January, which had consumed my time and thoughts for the many months prior, and was excited to finally launch it to the Sales Force at our National Sales Meeting. Early spring was full of many important work events involving travel, and Josh and I managed to get our fill of skiing in on the west coast through our Mountain Collective Pass.

But one thing was different. We were planning something on the side; a trip of a lifetime. Bali was still fresh in our minds from last November when we took a short trip there. As we walked along the beach on the smooth white sand and the warm water brushing over our toes, we had thought about the round the world trip for the first time. So many people around the world travel for extended periods of time. We could too. In Bali, anything felt possible.

We weren’t sure it would actually come to fruition, but the wheels in our head started turning. How much would it cost to travel the world? Where would we go? What time of year would we leave? How much money did we need to save? What would our budget be? What happens when we return? We got out the excel sheet, and started crunching numbers, seeking answers to our questions, unsure if the end result would actually mean us taking the plunge. It was scary to think of leaving the life we’d built. We had great jobs that we both loved, and Cali life was amazing. But timing is everything. We knew if we put off the trip too long it wouldn’t happen. We both turned 30 in 2014, and hope to start a family soon. So we put all excuses and nerves aside, and started putting our plan into action.

So far this has been the best experience of my life. It’s amazing to have this feeling of freedom, and the flexibility to go wherever we want to. Being able to meet new people from all over the world, and help others as we travel is life altering in a way that is hard to explain. It challenges, excites, and revitalizes you.

As I write this now, We’re sitting on the porch or our homestay in Bali, getting ready to start teaching English to kids in a small village near Ubud for the month of January. Ironically, (or not?) we’re back to the very place that inspired us most to follow our dream. I feel at peace here, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be back and to live as part of the Balinese culture.

I encourage you all, in 2015, to live the life you want to live. If you are unhappy, change it. Be inspired. Dream something incredible, and remember it doesn’t need to remain a dream. Remove all the excuses for why it can’t happen, and go for it! I promise, you won’t regret it.

Cheers!