3 years ago, I saved the first link about Costa Rica.  It was an Escape Artist page on living in Costa Rica, and I dunno if it was a specific article or the general info page the link redirects to today.  It was a Tuesday and I was at work, so I’m deducing that the idea was hatched and the ball started rolling that exact day because my MO then was to spend a lot of time at work surfing.  Or rather, dreaming.

Every dream has to start somewhere, and I’ve had many that started and eventually fizzled out.  Some of them were of the completely half-assed variety that have nothing to do with the real me (like the nebulous wanting a Good Job that made Lots of Money), or explorations of the other countries we considered that eventually came back down to earth.

I can see why most people never make their dreams come true.  It takes effort and focus.  It’s like another job, in some ways.  But if it really means something to you, you’ll stick to it.  It’s no different from an inventor or author who take rejections in stride (or learns from them) and doggedly pursues their dream.  People do it all the time.  It just takes time and effort.

Dealing with reality is not as fun as dreaming.  Lately it’s been a slightly uncomfortable stage – taking apart the life that I’m used to.  I’ve also thought a bit about some of the ‘Oh shit’ moments in the future, the times when I’ll realize that there’s no turning back.  #1 is the thing I look forward to more than anything else – giving notice at my dayjob.  Who wouldn’t want to quit their job and live their dream instead?  But it’s also giving up the perception of security.  It’s freaky.

3 years ago, it started with the simple act of saving a link.  2 years ago, I was still saving links but the dream was alive and well.  1 year ago (almost to the day!) I had my epiphany that it HAD to happen.  (Man does a life improve when you go with your gut and make strides towards fulfilling yourself.)  My hope now is that we move well before July 5, 2009 – hopefully Christmas will come early.