Dream Big: How a Simple Necklace Inspires Me to Keep Going

9/6/2019

About a thousand years ago, my dear friend, Molly, gave me the pretty little necklace pictured above. At the time, the expression “Dream Big” was new to the world of inspirational everythings. You couldn’t find it on file folders, fridge magnets, and baby décor like you can today, and Bob Goff had yet to write his inspirational best-seller by the same name. I fell in love with it instantly.

I live a pretty basic life- one full of long commutes, daily grinds, a bathroom scale that laughs at me, and bills that seem to always come around each month. In order to push through the daily minutiae, I dream. And by dream, I mean that I make future plans (whether mental or physical) that are usually travel-related and then figure out how to make them happen. I save, I plan, I anticipate (this is key to beating those day-to-day doldrums), and I go (sometimes not always in that order…one must stay flexible!).

I currently have some quick trips to NYC and the California wine country on the horizon, but my main “dream big” trip is set for February 2020, when I’ll head to Israel to explore the Holy Land. I’ve been mentally planning this trip since 1999 when my parents traveled there and came back with incredible stories and photos. I’ve been literally planning this trip since a fairly non-traveling friend said she wanted to go for her milestone birthday and that she needed help with the plans and wanted me to go. That was the tipping point for me. Israel 2020 is now officially booked and almost paid for, and I’ll be living this dream in just a few short months.

I cherish my necklace and wear it proudly, reminding myself that I can get through today for the big dreams ahead. How about you? Are you a dreamer? What big plans do you have?

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Amy Perales

12/13/2021 12:38:01 pm

Looks like you're happy and have an interesting business. I was lucky Ken traveled for international jobs, and I got to tag along to England, Scotland, France, Germany, Venezuela, and Japan. What an experience! I understand now his comment to me one time that he kissed the (American) ground every time he returned. He spent lots of time in Japan, loved it, and I was so tired of it after 2 weeks that didn't eat rice for months after returning. Japanese school children are adorable. A school in Tokyo let me walk into their courtyard and watch the children play. I got lost in a small town 3 train rides from Tokyo. I went to a high school and asked for someone who spoke English, but they said no one did. As I left the campus, I saw students hanging out the windows watching me. I was nearly off campus when I heard someone calling from behind me. A young man was running toward me yelling "American!" He spoke English and told me where to find a taxi stand. I've learned to ask you young people for help--the girl in a grocery store in France, the boy who rode the train with us until we got found our stop in Germany, the young man who helped me report a leak in the bathroom in Venezuela. The adults tend to be aloof, but the teenagers were anxious to talk to me. I also loved the London bus driver who knew someone in Detroit and wanted to know if we knew him, too. Have fun with your travels and your business.

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