Dream a little dream...

To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.
Bernard Edmonds

One of my friends just did something really brave... she followed a dream. She followed a big dream. I love feeling a courage in a friend's heart and seeing a person who refuses to settle in life. These friends of mine are my inspirations and I hope this blog entry does her justice. Good luck Helen!

An interview about dreams and happiness:

1) What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Actually, I didn’t really know what I wanted to be. I just knew where I wanted to be. Growing up, my parents brought us around the Embarcadero everyday to “play”. Surrounded by buildings as tall as the sky, we would run up and down the streets around Embarcadero 1, 2, and 3. What can I say, we grew up on the streets of SF. Since my earliest memories, I had always admired the offices in the Financial District. I knew one day, I would work on the 20th-something floor, in an office of my own, with floor to ceiling windows. I would walk into work wearing a power suit and holding a power brief case. HAHA.

2) What do you want to be now? How are you following you dream?
Now, I want to be a fashion designer. I want to work for a designer label and design for a brand that exemplifies who I am.
In order to follow my dream, I gave up my silver-platter life in San Francisco and moved across the states for an internship at Betsey Johnson. I have never done anything of this sort and couldn’t be happier to have made this move.

3) What made you decide to do that?
I always knew I wanted to live in New York. It has always been on my life list of things to do. But I never would’ve given up my life in San Francisco for just any opportunity to be out there. A month before my 27th birthday, I wrote down what I wanted in life. What would make me happy? And I realized that although I wanted to move to New York, I needed a great big push. So I applied for an internship to work for a company that I followed in style, statement, and passion. When I got the internship, I made the decision to move out to New York.

4) What challenges do you think you'll face by pursuing this dream?
Hmm, challenges -- for one, I’ve never really lived on my own before. I was born and raised in SF and have always had a strong network whenever I made any life choices. Even when I left for college, a handful of good friends from high school joined me at UCDavis.
The biggest challenge I see is letting go of my security blanket, my safety net, and building my New York network from scratch. It’s a weird thing to not have the people you depend on be there for you when you go through life's ups and downs. Even though all my bests are a phone call away, I don’t have anyone right now to explore New York with. No one’s here to experience the every day and I have to remember that.
...How do you plan to overcome them?
I plan to put myself out there and build a strong network in New York. It’s going to be hard to overcome the urge to find a rock and hid but it’s something I’m pushing myself to do. Good thing I have never been one to shy away from obstacles. I hope to make a few good friends within these next couple of months.

5) What is it about this dream that makes you happy?
I’m happy with the fact that I’m doing this. That I took myself out of my comfort zone and “left the nest”. If all I have are these next 3 months in New York, I would be content with how far I’ve grown. At least I pushed myself out the door and tried something new. At least I answered my “what-ifs” and squished my curiosity of the unknown. But let me state, I will be happier if I was offered a full-time, well paid, salaried, position at Betsey Johnson. I want to stay in New York after the internship but I would only stay if I was offered a golden opportunity.

6) What 3 things would you take with you to a deserted island?
Never really thought about this.
1) A plastic bucket to build sand cities (entertainment)
2) A hammock
3) A friend

7) What makes you happy on a daily basis?
Simple acts of kindness. Honestly, I smile when I see strangers helping each other out when they least expected it. The little things really mean a lot and it’s nice to know that people still care about each other in a world full of individuals. I love this commercial from Liberty Mutual “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMwoexR1evo”

8) You're going to be all alone for 5 days--how do you entertain yourself (be g-rated)?
These couple of days has taught me that I need to be on the move. Venturing out and seeing things keep me sane. I like to work. I like to keep moving. And now that I’m in New York alone, to keep me occupied, I’ve been exploring the city and trying new things. I have to say, it’s not as scary as I thought.

9) Have you ever had the 'blues'? What'd you do?
Yes, I’ve had the “blues”. Though I’m naturally bubbly and find joy in the things I do, I have experienced a few “funks” in my life. The key for me is to keep going; to keep moving. You can’t let yourself think about the “what-ifs” and the “should’ves, could’ves, would’ves”, you just have to accept the situation and move on. I know it’s hard at times, but I find that that’s the only way to get over the blues.

10) What is something you are grateful for that you can always count on to make you happy?
JP, my boyfriend. I’ve never liked the notion that your boyfriend/husband/significant other completes you. I think the idea of it is wrong, that you should be whole with your own self. But JP makes me happy. I am grateful to have someone who understands me as much as he does. To support me as I travel 2,600 miles away for something as crazy as a childhood dream. To have a long distance relationship go on without an end date in sight. A lot of people would not stand for it. I’m not sure if he knows it but I rely on him when I can’t find happiness in my life.

I'm pretty lucky to have such inspirational friends. I must also pay tribute to my friend Sara who crossed an ocean to go to school so she could pursue a degree in contour fashion. My friend Manda, despite her fears, is having her first baby. Teresa who after some agonizing months of decision-making decided to bank on love and moved to New York as well. And my friend Strom who is taking great risks with his band and pursuing his love of music.