It has been a while, I know! I missed you all and a lot has happened since I last wrote...6 years has passed and I will dedicate a future blog to updating you on all those things...but for now, let me tell you a story.
When I was in elementary school my parents told us all the time that they were going to turn one of the garages into a playroom for us kids. I mean, in theory it already was...kinda. All of our bikes, outdoor play equipment, etc was in there, but it was a garage: not welcoming, cement, and plain white interior walls. Anyway, we heard the line, "when we hit the lotto, we will..." fill in with the dreams of changing the attic into an additional room and turning the garage into a real playroom with insulated and painted walls. Well, my older sister and I one day, as we were putting our bikes into the garage after playing outside for hours, decided to do something about the boring looking garage! I mean, who wants to wait until our parents hit the lotto to actually get the playroom of our dreams...there were things that could be done in the moment to get us closer to what we wanted! And well, "things to do" is just what we did....one thing namely...we painted the garage.
Yup! We did it, slathered beige and pink paint all over that garage and spilled it all over the floor too. It was a hideous masterpiece! After 1-2 hours of our hard work and occasional (more like perpetual) bad mouthing of our parents for trying to wait for the magical lotto to get done what we knew we could accomplish, we were done! It was dusk, we sneaked in the house covered in paint, undressed and got into the tub. Well, obviously eventually my mom came in the bathroom and asked us why we were covered in paint. I can't remember her exact reaction, but I do not remember really getting into major trouble (in other words, I didn't get a spanking). I assume that she realized that dreams remain dreams unless you set goals and make actionable steps towards it. Or not. Maybe she just thought that her kids were nuts and she wasn't quite sure what to do with the two of us so lecturing us and then acting like it didn't happen was a good approach...not sure. The interior walls of the garage remained that crazy pattern for years: one slat beige and the next hot pink. I don't remember it being renovated the way we wanted...well when were older and out of the house, my dad turned it into a pseudo "man cave" and put a portable fan & heater, fridge, and some chairs inside. He did not do this after hitting the lotto, I might add. Maybe my older sister and I had taught them something...if you want a man cave, make it! I would like to believe that we did at least 😊
To spell it out for those who missed the punch line, this entry is not really about the garage...it is about the lesson of having a dream and turning it into real steps to reach something better, a goal. Childhood Aisha understood that and didn't let the barriers that adults create hold her back. I don't know the answer to the dumb question that adults ask, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" But I know that the world is calling me and I must follow. I have a dream and more tangibly, a life goal to live on every continent. So despite the 6 year break, I am continuing on my journey to reach that goal. I moved to Korea the other day! While I have lived on the continent of Asia in India before, I welcome the opportunity to do it again, to save, gain a new experiences, and continue exploring onward. I choose to paint the garage. There are other aspects of my life that I will push myself to make actionable steps to achieve and I look forward to sharing those with you as well. I encourage you today to reflect on your dream, make it a goal, and just paint the garage!
When I was in elementary school my parents told us all the time that they were going to turn one of the garages into a playroom for us kids. I mean, in theory it already was...kinda. All of our bikes, outdoor play equipment, etc was in there, but it was a garage: not welcoming, cement, and plain white interior walls. Anyway, we heard the line, "when we hit the lotto, we will..." fill in with the dreams of changing the attic into an additional room and turning the garage into a real playroom with insulated and painted walls. Well, my older sister and I one day, as we were putting our bikes into the garage after playing outside for hours, decided to do something about the boring looking garage! I mean, who wants to wait until our parents hit the lotto to actually get the playroom of our dreams...there were things that could be done in the moment to get us closer to what we wanted! And well, "things to do" is just what we did....one thing namely...we painted the garage.
Yup! We did it, slathered beige and pink paint all over that garage and spilled it all over the floor too. It was a hideous masterpiece! After 1-2 hours of our hard work and occasional (more like perpetual) bad mouthing of our parents for trying to wait for the magical lotto to get done what we knew we could accomplish, we were done! It was dusk, we sneaked in the house covered in paint, undressed and got into the tub. Well, obviously eventually my mom came in the bathroom and asked us why we were covered in paint. I can't remember her exact reaction, but I do not remember really getting into major trouble (in other words, I didn't get a spanking). I assume that she realized that dreams remain dreams unless you set goals and make actionable steps towards it. Or not. Maybe she just thought that her kids were nuts and she wasn't quite sure what to do with the two of us so lecturing us and then acting like it didn't happen was a good approach...not sure. The interior walls of the garage remained that crazy pattern for years: one slat beige and the next hot pink. I don't remember it being renovated the way we wanted...well when were older and out of the house, my dad turned it into a pseudo "man cave" and put a portable fan & heater, fridge, and some chairs inside. He did not do this after hitting the lotto, I might add. Maybe my older sister and I had taught them something...if you want a man cave, make it! I would like to believe that we did at least 😊
To spell it out for those who missed the punch line, this entry is not really about the garage...it is about the lesson of having a dream and turning it into real steps to reach something better, a goal. Childhood Aisha understood that and didn't let the barriers that adults create hold her back. I don't know the answer to the dumb question that adults ask, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" But I know that the world is calling me and I must follow. I have a dream and more tangibly, a life goal to live on every continent. So despite the 6 year break, I am continuing on my journey to reach that goal. I moved to Korea the other day! While I have lived on the continent of Asia in India before, I welcome the opportunity to do it again, to save, gain a new experiences, and continue exploring onward. I choose to paint the garage. There are other aspects of my life that I will push myself to make actionable steps to achieve and I look forward to sharing those with you as well. I encourage you today to reflect on your dream, make it a goal, and just paint the garage!
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| Busan, S Korea...absolutely gorgeous mountainous place! |
