Inspiration and Dreams: A Pub, a Puppy and a whole lot of Providence

In past posts, I’ve written about the importance of believing in your dreams, and of continually moving towards them, even if slowly. Unwavering belief, plus an itty-bitty amount of momentum, makes for a magical equation. It used to worry me that I didn’t know HOW I would get my dreams from A to B to C. And it used to worry me even more that I couldn’t make A + B = C. But over time, I’ve let this worry go. Instead, I focus solely on what I want and on the few small things I know I can do today to move away from A, towards B. And somehow, in so doing, providence and possibility often collide to make for amazing opportunities.

This happened to me last weekend when I met the most unusual and inspiring couple who are following and living their dreams...in the most FABULOUS way!

As you may know, I live in Windsor, UK. Due to the presence of one large and famous castle, Windsor is inundated with tourists for much of the year. In town, I hear accents from all over the world and usually pay no attention. But last Friday, after stopping at The Two Brewers (one of my favourite pubs) for a sunny lunch, I very much noticed the American accents of the couple at the next table. While I was lightly contemplating saying hello, Harry, my pup, charged over for an introduction.

Over the course of the next hour, Harry ingratiated himself, and we learned that Betsy and Warren were from Seattle, had tired of the rat race and sold everything to travel around the world for the next five years. (Talk about clearing space!?!) They had just arrived in the UK via Latin America, Antarctica and one very long boat ride (5 luxurious weeks aboard an empty cruise ship in process of repositioning itself! My kinda cruise!). Despite sticker shock at UK prices, they seemed enthralled by British culture and very much at home. Ironically, they had just been to visit Wanderlust, an award-winning, independent, adventure travel magazine that is edited by my next-door neighbour, Dan. Betsy and Warren ended up at the Two Brewer’s on Dan’s recommendation. Coincidence? I was starting to get goose pimples.

The conversation then somehow turned to photography and my fledgling blog. It turns out that Warren is a Wordpress website developer and is also familiar with Squarespace. He offered to help me transform my site into something more functional and impactful. And Betsy had a consulting business focused on female entrepreneurs.

I walked home that afternoon with one sleepy child and two contented canines, and a mind that was spinning and jumping. Not only had I met the most interesting and inspiring couple who are living-proof that outrageous, fabulous dreams can become reality, but I very much felt as if I had just made two new friends (We’ve made plans to get together again when they are back this way...). And even more amazingly, these relative-strangers had offered to help me move closer to my own dreams. Pubs, puppies, providence and a whole lot of possibility!

You can follow Warren and Betsy on their blog: www.marriedwithluggage.com or on Facebook. Their site is full of information and guidance on how they transformed their everyday life into a travelling adventure. I hope you find them as inspirational as I do. Enjoy!