With the launch of my updated website, I decided to write a post about dreams. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything and looking back at my old posts I see that a lot has changed about my dreams, but–in some ways–a lot is exactly the same.
Writing A Book:
This is the biggest dream/goal I’ve ever had and it has dominated the better part of 18 years. This goal has never changed, but it has evolved in some ways. As I’ve written my book, Cate’s story has gotten deeper. It was such a simple storyline, to begin with. Mystery and adventure were the drivers, but there weren’t any underlying themes. As I got older though, and I started defining the person I wanted to me…Cate started doing the same.
I’m happy to say that my book. Forgotten Secrets, is finally finished. I’ve begun submitting letters to agents and plan to attend a conference in May where I can refine my query letter and my first chapter even more. I also have a few other book ideas swirling in my head and I’m hoping the classes at the conference will give me the inspiration I need to bring the stories to life on paper. Some of the ideas revolve around a graphic novel. I’m excited to see where that takes me.
Travel:
I’ve always loved the idea of traveling. For years, travel has always meant a really cool collection of photographs and some epic stories of how cool my life is. But as I get older I realize that traveling is more than that. It is an opportunity to experience other cultures and broaden my understanding of people. I really want to better understand people and their struggles so I know how to help them. That probably sounds corny, but it’s true. Another way to look at it…I want my life to be a story worth writing about and it won’t be worth writing about if it doesn’t have a purpose larger than myself. If you’ve never read “A Thousand Miles In A Million Years” it talks more about this idea and I highly recommend it.
While in college I had the chance to go to Korea to see my Dad’s old mission. Since then I have also traveled to Peru to hike the Inca Trail. I’ve recently returned from a marvelous trip to England and France (both epic and fascinating) and in April I am headed to Germany with my family to see where my brother served his mission. It should be a blast.
Career:
Apart from book writing, I’ve always loved my career as an advertiser. Reading old posts, I realize I had a deeper passion for it back in college that I’m only now rediscovering 7 years later. My career quickly went from a passion I was excited to explore, to a day-to-day necessity that felt stagnant. Life outside of work had become more exciting to me and the passion I had for my career in college sort of left me. In the last two years though, I’ve had some experiences that made me realize I needed to love work like I loved life because a large portion of my day was at work.
I’ve had a few self-assigned projects at work that are opening doors and re-lighting that fire I had back in my college days when I was passionate about doing things larger than myself. I’ve also relaunched this website and have started my own side-business doing more logos, designs, family trees, and ads for people. It’s been so fun and I’ve been loving an additional outlet to express myself creatively.
Family:
In a lot of ways, I don’t totally feel like an adult. In my mind, adults always have kids or a spouse. I don’t have either, so therefore I’m still a kid. I know it doesn’t totally work that way, but that’s how my brain processes things. I always knew I wanted to have a family of my own someday, but someday always felt like a very long way away and I always assumed when/if that time came I’d know how to be a mother and a wife. In the past few years though, my ideas have changed. I realize if I want those things later, I have to be preparing for that now. Being a wife and a mother takes sacrifice and selflessness. It takes courage and determination. You become a teacher, a cook…a provider. I don’t know where life is going to take me or when/if I will have a little family I can tell stories to at bedtime, but I’m working on those aspects of being selfless that will hopefully get me to where I want to be with that goal.
Well, that’s it for now. Look out for more updates to come as I get closer to being the published author of a full-length novel!