Dating a Dream

I enumerated back here the 9 reasons I am homeschooling Elle this year.  But I neglected to tell you about reason #10. So here it is:

Reason #10- I wanted to date a dream.

I wanted to date this dream to see if he is marriage material; to see if I wanted to make a more permanent commitment to a bigger dream.

See ever since my post on Dare, Dream, Do, I have been letting myself dream bigger and dream more.  I have been letting myself think outside the box; I tell myself it is okay to not do what everyone else is doing.  I have tried not to be discouraged by logistics or finances or limitations or other people’s opinions.  I’ve just let myself dream to my fullest capacity.

And one of my BIG dreams is to take my kids out of school for a year and homeschool them on the road — across the country.

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When I picture my dream, I see us driving in an RV; everyone with their own iPad; mapping out our course, figuring out gas mileage, journaling our adventures, and visiting museums, national parks and historical sites.  I see us attending different churches around the country; my kids being able to adapt to new settings and new people and being exposed to new foods and new cultures.

And of course, in my dream, my children eventually all learn to get along, because there is no one else to get along with.  We make unforgettable memories, forge unbreakable bonds, and develop a love, appreciation, and understanding of our country and its history.

I have our mega trip all planned for Elle’s 8th grade year and Crew’s 5th grade year.  The curriculum is U.S. History in both of those years and what better way to actually learn about our country then to hit the road and see it for yourself?

But there is one small glitch to my dream.  Dreams take work (and money, but I’m not worrying about that yet).  And the bigger the dream, the more work it requires.

The NBA star or concert pianist or best selling author just doesn’t get there. They all must put in hours and hours of work and practice to actually realize a dream.  There is a lot of sweat and sore muscles,  missed notes and long hours, and rough drafts and edits, before the glory. We often forget the work part of the dream; we just see the actualization of it.

As I thought about my BIG dream, I knew I would have to practice and work at it if I wanted to see it come true.

I did not think it would be a good idea to just live a regular public school life and then pull the kids out one day and hit the road.  I wasn’t sure I could handle it or that they could handle it.   I didn’t want to find myself in New York in an expensive RV and realize that I actually hate homeschooling or traveling or spending all day with my kids.

It made more sense to me if I practiced for my dream in smaller, easier, less drastic increments.

So reason #10 for homeschooling Elle is because I want to date my dream.  I have to see if what I think I want is really what I want.

What are your dreams and what could you do to start dating them?

P.S. I am taking applications for a nanny/tutor/driver to accompany us.

 

3 thoughts on “Dating a Dream”

  1. Hey, love your thoughts on homeschooling for a whole year! How do I apply to help you out on that!??

  2. I love the idea and concept of “dating a dream.” It’s really quite a smart idea! I have been dating a dream of really stating a photography business. Though until just now I didn’t realize maybe that’s what I needed to do first, I just saw it as not making it happen. Finally I feel things seem to be gearing towards really making my dream happen and really see the wisdom in “dating a dream.” So glad we have a wise Father in Heaven to guide us when we think we know what’s best for us, but as we lay aside our wills and follow His it ALWAYS works out best. You do an excellent job of following the spirit. Love this post! Thanks for the aha moment! And good luck on your dream, hope it comes to fruition! Oh and how about I just bring my family along 😉

  3. So eloquent – dating a dream. My godmother (or if not mine, my brother’s), gave me similar advice a while ago, about ‘living one option’ for a day, before making a decision. Thinking about what it would be like if I did A instead of B. It was a great idea (and not as huge as you suggest). I like it a lot!

    I hope you get your dream… Were you tongue in cheek about the nanny/driver thing?

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