Are You Living Each Day a Step Closer to Your Dream Life?

Hello there,

I’m feeling pretty fantastic about the certainty I feel towards where my life is headed. Before, where I was filled with hesitation, fear, anxiety, and the like, I’m now filled with excitement, excitement, and more excitement!

The other day, after my parents picked me up from the airport, they told me that they admire my strength, my courage, and my drive to follow my dreams (and that they don’t know where I got it from). It was immensely touching and it helped me feel even more secure about the choices I am making towards making my dreams my reality. They are much happier about the choices I’m making with regards to how I’ll go about the move, and this has made me feel more sure of myself in the process.

I’ve had some questions as to whether I’m still considering selling my house and I definitely am. I had intentions of moving this summer anyways, and I’ll be honest and say I don’t like what Hamilton is becoming. It’s turning into a shadow of Toronto but with a more pretentious atmosphere, and it was the humility of this city that first drew me to it. It’s lost that humility; that humility is drowning in craft beer and overpriced and over-fancied meals.

Some people associate home ownership with “making it” in adult life, and wonder why I would give that up for uncertainty in Paris (and potentially living in my parents’ basement for a few months while reestablishing myself when/if I return). Firstly: I will still have the equity from my home in my pocket, so technically I’m set for moving forward with another home. But secondly: I don’t associate settling as success or making it. I associate following your dreams, living life to the fullest, taking risks with no regrets, making mistakes and learning from them, and creating sacrifices for happiness as a true definition of “making it” in this earthly life.

I was reading a “goals” journal at Indigo and rather than buying it, I took a photo of a page of it and I’m going to put my answers to it, here… Feel free to do the same in the comments!

• How do you feel after spending this time working towards your goals?

I feel validated. I feel powerful. I feel happy. I feel excited. I feel as though the universe is aligning. I feel as though things I dreamt while I slept are coming true. I feel brave. I feel strong. I feel as though everything in my life helped lead up to this point.

• Check in with your dream life. Do you feel closer to achieving it?

My dream life is to experience life as a Parisian. I have my visa application interview coming up next week. I have a job lined up for me, and more companies interested in interviewing me come August. My animals will have a place to feel safe for three months while I figure things out overseas. My short-term rental situation will be far easier to achieve than the stress that comes from long-term rentals. I am not putting myself in a situation where I feel trapped and anxious about my decision. I’m not putting my career as an educator here in Canada in jeapordy in any way.

I would say I’m very close to achieving my dream life. I would say I’m right on the edge of it.

The goals journal then recommends rewarding yourself for your progress so far, but I would say my mini trip to Paris was a reward. Perhaps a Living France magazine (an expat magazine that gives readers tips and tricks about establishing yourself in France) will be another small reward, this week.

Well, that’s all for now… Back to work tomorrow until another long weekend of Easter, then the spring days fly by as the year comes to a close. Then comes my return HOME.

xo

C