The dreams we had as kids

We all had dreams when we were kids, dreams fueled by an insatiable desire to learn about the world and everything going on around us. Some of us wanted to be astronauts, doctors, firemen, writers—the list goes on. As we get older, expectations, jobs, and mortgages can rip those dreams from the kid who just wanted to play basketball. Life can push those dreams down, but the dreams we had as kids are what make us uniquely who we are.

I remember my first dream was sparked by a poster of Gandhi in my third-grade class. It said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I had no idea how I would do that, only that I wanted to. Another time my eyes lit up was when I watched the film Mamma Mia and saw Donna travel the world. Even though it was just a movie, it ignited something in me. A few years later, I spoke with a woman who had opened a pizza restaurant in Colorado after traveling the world. She had lived in Spain, Costa Rica, Asia, Portugal—I don’t even know where else—and that same excitement welled up in me.

When I took a two-week trip to Italy with my friend, that same excitement came rushing back. After that, I enrolled in a two-month culinary program in Italy for the following year, not knowing what would come from it. In the meantime, I applied to law school, finished my bachelor’s degree, and worked from 7 AM to 7 PM. I was utterly exhausted, but I was making money. When the time came to go to Italy for my culinary program, everything felt different, and I didn’t know why I was doing it anymore. Just as I was about to board the plane, I started having second thoughts and called my mom. She reminded me of the dream I had as a kid to travel the world. She uttered the words "Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved."

I decided that, at the very least, it would be a wonderful experience before I decided whether to go to law school. After talking to my mom, I got on the plane at 10 o’clock at night. I was about to fall asleep when I felt a sense of peace. I had no idea what was going to happen. I was walking entirely into the unexpected, completely and utterly alone, and I couldn’t have been more fearful and excited about what was next.

During the trip, I thought about everything. I considered becoming a chef in Italy or America, chasing my dreams as a writer, teaching english—anything that would allow me to travel and pursue one of my passions. One Saturday, I took a day trip to the beach alone to listen to an audiobook. That day was one of the most inspiring of my whole experience. As I sat on the beach, looked at the water, and took in my surroundings, I realized I was living the dream I had as a kid. All the pieces hadn’t fully come together, but I knew I was on the right path, the path of my dream. I had no idea what was coming next, and I still don’t, but it’s exciting. How thrilling it is that we don’t have everything planned out, that we don’t know the destination we will end up at, but we can take comfort in knowing that the journey will be more exciting than the final destination. The best things in life, the very best things, happen unexpectedly.

Madison Wallace