A dream or a nightmare?

I’m about to be homeless. Seriously!

We’ve sold the place we are living in. We were planning to move into one of our investment properties while we wait for our new place to be completed. But the tenant wants to buy it. She’s been there for six years, so it feels like the right thing to do.

That means we have nowhere to live for around 12 weeks.

Over the last two weeks of Life Done By Design, we’ve been asking ourselves the question What do I really want? Not what should I want, what am I expected to want, but what do I really, really, really want in my life in this moment, in this season.

For me, the answer has been loud and clear. I want to feel free.

We moved from our 1000-acre farm to a 100 square metre unit in the city with no garden or outdoor area, while we worked out what our next steps would be three years ago. We never anticipated we would be here for this long!

So, knowing that it’s finally time to move out and contemplating the next three months has me yearning for the great outdoors. With summer just around the corner, the warmth of the sun, the grass under my feet and the sand between my toes is calling.

I have an overwhelming desire to be outside – ALL OF THE TIME.

So, I’ve just about convinced my husband we should go camping for three months. Three months of bathing in the river, three months of no TV or home comforts. Three months of travelling between the coast and the city. Three months of bonding with our campervan. Three months of simple living.

So why am I telling you this?

Because I know that for many of you, this is your version of a nightmare. I know this because every time I tell someone, I’m met with a mixture of disapproval, shock, or an offer to stay at their place! But this feels like a dream to me. The freedom to live so simply and without complications.

But living our own version of a dream life doesn’t always feel this simple, does it? There are so many other competing factors and other things to think of. There are our responsibilities to take care of, the commitments we have to keep. Not to mention other people’s expectations to manage, and so much explaining to do when your dream is someone else’s nightmare.

Couple that with the fear of what other people might think (can’t you afford to pay for some short-term accommodation?), the possibility that it could all go pear-shaped and have you pack it in because it really is a nightmare, and it’s easy to see how going down the traditional route becomes an easier and safer option.

Maybe the idea of camping for three months really is just a daydream.

Maybe it’s a fantasy that sounds good, but the reality is it would be a nightmare.

Maybe I should just push that silly dream away and be sensible.

Only time will tell.

What about you? Do you have a dream that’s on hold or been pushed away because you’re being sensible?

What do you really, really, really yearn for in this moment? If you had to pack up your life for three months what would be on the top of your list to do?

I’d love to know. Let me know in the comments below.