What is "Living the Dream" to you? (1 Viewer)

[Figaro]

Bill, unfortunately I don't know you and never met you but that is one brave and moving storey, I wish you well and hope the sun continues to shine on you, you deserve it.
Chris

 

[tonka]

Surviving my Heart Attack.

Although she reckons it was just a pathetic attempt at attention seeking.

Know that feeling... 9 months after the bypass and all the sympathy has gone !!!
Back to routine got to clean the gutters out tomorrow and been fitting a toilet seat today..
So much for the dream.. !!!

Still, could be worse..
She could have been spending all my cash on some young bloke by now if it went the other way..

 

[obanvanman]

Know that feeling... 9 months after the bypass and all the sympathy has gone !!!
Back to routine got to clean the gutters out tomorrow and been fitting a toilet seat today..
So much for the dream.. !!!

Still, could be worse..
She could have been spending all my cash on some young bloke by now if it went the other way..

Bollox to that. I had 4 stents with the promise of a by pass at some stage in the future.

I'm spending it all now.

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[gus-lopez]

Sorry to disagree Jim, but I honestly think there is...

I used to suffer from really bad depression, I lived a miserable life

Then one day I realised that when you wake up in the morning you have two choices, to be happy or to be miserable.

Guess which one I chose now?

And when things go wrong, as they do from time to time, I always look for the cubic centimeter of opportunity- it's always there, you just need to find it.

Money, power, succees and 'stuff' don't come into it.

If it was as easy as that there wouldn't be any except happy
smiling people ,it isn't that easy. Even if you want to be happy if you have no purpose in life , no need to do anything & no interest in anything, then there isn't a lot of point regardless of how hard you try being happy.
People think I'm living the dream. No, I live here because the weather is good. There is no 'dream' only living. Might be ok for those who want the sun to go with drinking/eating but when the world is complete shambles & is far worse than when most of us were born then there doesn't seem a lot of point to it.
What does/would living the dream mean to me ? To be honest , nothing .There isn't anything that I want to do ,Places I'd like to see,Interests that I'd like to take up,people I'd like to be with.
I'm off in a mo to Águilas , it is a lovely day so I'll take the dog for a walk. Why I've no idea but he likes it.Me I just wonder what on earth I'm doing.

 

[Eve]

I have always thought there is a big difference to dreaming the dream and living it..
Feel very lucky that we did so much as a couple,just wish we had done more.!! We never took pictures as they where our memories and didn't,t want to bore people ridged with photo,s.

Now I am alone,I realise I lived the dream without really realising it.still feel very lucky ,lovely daughters,nice home,M/H,memories.plus now I never never ever think I will do something next year. I just do it!!!

Life is a gift,open it and enjoy

 

[Dazzlin]

We set off to live the life we thought we wanted in 2013.
The kids are settled (well, as much as kids are ever settled (my dad still worries about me)).

We know we are lucky to be able to do it at our ages and with our health.

Still enjoying living in our first van full time and will continue until we fancy a change.

Living the dream for us is doing what we want with no outside pressures. Enjoying it day to day.

As the signature says - WHY NOT?

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[Wildbill]

We set off to live the life we thought we wanted in 2013.
The kids are settled (well, as much as kids are ever settled (my dad still worries about me)).

We know we are lucky to be able to do it at our ages and with our health.

Still enjoying living in our first van full time and will continue until we fancy a change.

Living the dream for us is doing what we want with no outside pressures. Enjoying it day to day.

As the signature says - WHY NOT?

And lovely people you could wish to meet hope your dream continues
bill lyn jay xx

 

[Jaws]

Sadly I do not really have a dream.. well not an achievable realistic one any way..
So for me ( and I think Woman too ) it is just doing our own thing, seeing the 7 million grand kids and of course THEIR kids growing up, and in general not getting too stressy on a day to day basis

 

[chaser]

Can't see how you can live a dream really, once you get to it, you have to have another, as Jim said in the op , we usually go everywhere in the van and it's what we want, but as you go about you always see something else you could be doing, you have got to be easily satisfied or have done the impossible, if you have settled on one thing as your dream.
Please don't think I am knocking the idea, just my take on it

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[Robert Clark]

If it was as easy as that there wouldn't be any except happy
smiling people ,it isn't that easy. Even if you want to be happy if you have no purpose in life , no need to do anything & no interest in anything, then there isn't a lot of point regardless of how hard you try being happy.
People think I'm living the dream. No, I live here because the weather is good. There is no 'dream' only living. Might be ok for those who want the sun to go with drinking/eating but when the world is complete shambles & is far worse than when most of us were born then there doesn't seem a lot of point to it.
What does/would living the dream mean to me ? To be honest , nothing .There isn't anything that I want to do ,Places I'd like to see,Interests that I'd like to take up,people I'd like to be with.
I'm off in a mo to Águilas , it is a lovely day so I'll take the dog for a walk. Why I've no idea but he likes it.Me I just wonder what on earth I'm doing.

Sometimes you have to make your own purpose in life Gus

Here's why I get up in the morning

Taking the grandchildren to see Father Christmas

Giving our granddaughter a cuddle when she was feeling sick

Taking the dog for s walk

Feeding the chickens

Handing out food parcels at the food bank

The list is endless - it's full of simple, mundane things.

Hope you enjoyed your walk with the dog - I'm sure he/she did

 

[Fletton]

For moi... Living the dream .. Is a saying invented to reinforce the wants/needs of society's "consumers"

Insofar as there are many "ordinary" days in my life that are truely fulfilling..
Whether it be a moment in the day or a memory recalled from a certain smell - that gives you a warm feeling inside and puts a grin on one's face!.. Regardless of whether i'm sat in the van , garden, house or somewhere else..

But i do like being outside

Wanting/having less - really is more
Imo

 

[Robert Clark]

yes.. indeed ... I agree

but not in the context of the OP.. ie .. living 'full time' in a van.. it's just life, and it gets boring ..it's not the 'dream life'

But to some people, it may be their perfect dream - just cos it's ordinary to you doesn't mean that it's not paradise to somebody else.

Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

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[Wildbill]

Sometimes you have to make your own purpose in life Gus

Here's why I get up in the morning

Taking the grandchildren to see Father Christmas
View attachment 88475
View attachment 88474

Giving our granddaughter a cuddle when she was feeling sick
View attachment 88476

Taking the dog for s walk

Feeding the chickens

Handing out food parcels at the food bank

The thus is endless - it's full of simple, mundane things.

Hope you enjoyed your walk with the dog - I'm sure he/she did

Fantastic think I am all ready there you are certainly living your dream as I am thank you such a lovely post
bill

 

[laird of Dunstan]

We hope to be semi retired next year ,never thought of it as living the dream ,more of getting out of the rat race ,if I get bored with looking out of our motorhome at some breath taking vista I'll go and work a short contract in some dingy factory some where
For me its more if being on a journey sharing those moments with someone ,the opportunity to spend quality time with my children and their partners and having the health to do it

 

[scotjimland]

[

But to some people, it may be their perfect dream - just cos it's ordinary to you doesn't mean that it's not paradise to somebody else.

Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

yes indeed.. but my reply was to the OP question.. What is "Living the Dream" to you?

I said... it was still just ' living' .. life is life.. there is no dream life...

that is my opinion

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[Mikey RV]

No matter what peaple say you can't do anything without having money. Living the dream for me would be to have enough money to be able to do what I want when I want. A lot of travelling would be involved.

 

[parknride]

Yes there is no one size fits all, many of us have come to appreciate by now health is everything. many think they need a lot of money high up there depending what your dream is. I know a couple of millionaires who still sit at desks in mundane jobs, one past retirement age. I used to ask why?? Because it makes them both happy they say. I can understand for some retirement = boredom. I really don't need to be a millionaire, (wouldnt turn it down) we get by on our savings until we get our pensions. That to us is doing well. We worked hard for it too. We are fit enough and have enough to enjoy carefully. Seen too many sudden funerals. As @laird of Dunstan says we can always pick up a mundane job to top up the coffers if ever needed. We have worked hard all our lives and are loving life now. We worked one summer on a campsite in France for some meals and a free stay. It was fab fun and we made some great long term friends. Simple things in life are the best.
I'm just dreaming EE fix my phone before we get the boat to France on our way to Spain Tuesday till sometine in April. Bring it on.

 

[Langtoftlad]

In the context of Motorhoming & being pretty new at it;
I'd say this -

Being able to park up in a CL field in the middle of nowhere, yet just a couple miles from Bletchley Park for a few pennies...
AKA "Affordable Freedom"

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[thehutchies]

I was thinking about this thread this afternoon.
On a day when most adults will be working silly hours to pay the mortgage, their kids stressed in school, we went for a trek along the Wansdyke.
The view over the Vale of Pewsey was impressive, until until some 15-year old idiot got his big pink tete in the way.
It's a simple life, as much a compromise as any other, but as close to a dream as we could hope to get

 

[Robert Clark]

[


yes indeed.. but my reply was to the OP question.. What is "Living the Dream" to you?

I said... it was still just ' living' .. life is life.. there is no dream life...

that is my opinion

Now I got ya !

 

[Speve]

I'm doing it now both retired house payed for reasonably healthy we can do as we please and are lucky enough to be able to afford the lifestyle.
Make the most of each day as you don't know what's around the corner. Love Life,have no regrets .

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[MattR]

As much as we would love to not have to work and be able to do what we want when we want, my living the dream moments come when I feel as though I am as happy as I can be doing what I am doing.

Sometimes this means enjoying a cup of coffee, reading a book and watching the river flow past, while sitting on our favourite pitch in a camp site in France and other times it is dozing after a wonderful meal without any interruptions.

I fear that if we constantly strive for living the dream for the rest of our lives, we will miss out on what we have now and doing what we enjoy now means that we are less likely to say "if only we ..."

Don't wait until it is too late and make the most of what you can do so that you have happy memories to dream about when you are sleeping, even if reality isn't as much fun.

 

[Yorick]

To expand a bit on my tale.
I first came here (Lanzarote) in 1999 just after my wife died. My firm told me to go see my dad and take as much time off as I needed.
I fell in love with the island straight away and saw why my dad retired here.
As time went I wanted more and more to do the same thing as there's so much to do here.

Then I met SWMBO 12 years ago and brought her here. She fell in love as well.

We then decided we'd retire here when I was 55 her 50.

And we did just that

 

[Eve]

Think this is very true,so living the dream can be just enjoying each day,the person you share each day with and being grateful for what you have.

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[Coolbeanz]

As many of you know me and Glynn took early retirement in April 2014 to follow our dream. We will have no pension income until we reach 60 yrs old but I allowed for that in our plans. A mix of sensible spending, good jobs and a lump sum compensation for a terrible bullying experience that left me unfit for anything for 2 years and we were able to retire mortgage free at the age of 52. We spend 6 months each year touring a European country, a month at home, 4 months in Goa from November to March, a month at home and then off to the next destination (Portugal next). Are we living the dream?? Hell yes!! Life is amazing. We see so many new places, meet so many lovely people, cycle through the most amazing scenery, enjoy lazy days on the beach watching dolphins swim by. What is not to love?? We met a new couple in a bar tonight and got chatting. They have just had a house built in Portugal and once they learned what we do they immediately invited us to pitch up on their land with EHU too and offered lots of info on the area they live and all the cycling routes. Last week we met another couple at one of the beach shacks who live in France and they have invited us to pitch up on their land so they can show us the area. Such kindness, such generosity from total strangers!! Today we had fun shopping in the crazy mad loud town of Margao and tomorrow we will be laying on the beach outside the Little Tiger beach shack waiting for the Dolphins to swim by. I am in regular contact with my family through Skype, phone calls and whatsapp so I don't feel like I am missing out. At the moment we have perfect health but I am aware that could change in a heartbeat so we grab the moment while we can. We are not extravagant as we can't afford to be but we live an amazing life and I am truly grateful. We have met so many funsters on our travels who have added so much to our experience. To any of you who are considering a life change like this I would say go for it! Even if it only works for a while for whatever reason at least you'll have no regrets that you didn't try it. I have recently lost a friend to cancer who was my age and I am about to lose another so I make the most of every day, of the simple joys in life that cost little or no money and I pray that my good luck continues for as long as possible. I record my amazing experiences on my camera and in my blog so I will always have my memories no matter what life throws at me!

 

[gus-lopez]

Sometimes you have to make your own purpose in life Gus

Here's why I get up in the morning

Taking the grandchildren to see Father Christmas
View attachment 88475
View attachment 88474

Giving our granddaughter a cuddle when she was feeling sick
View attachment 88476

Taking the dog for s walk

Feeding the chickens

Handing out food parcels at the food bank

The list is endless - it's full of simple, mundane things.

Hope you enjoyed your walk with the dog - I'm sure he/she did

Good for you if you enjoy it.Unfortunately it doesn't do anything for me . Sorry
The dog might have enjoyed it better if the car hadn't decided to die, yet again, just as we got there with a mystery electrical fault that has been going on for some weeks a bit like @DavidG58 turbo problem. So only getting about 15mins walk as I didn't want to get stuck there possibly having to wait for a recovery truck on a bank holiday, if it didn't start.
Fortunately it did. So off to the auto-electrician yet again first thing & Just got to make my mind up whether to chance my arm with it to Alicante in the evening or take the MH ?

No matter what peaple say you can't do anything without having money. Living the dream for me would be to have enough money to be able to do what I want when I want. A lot of travelling would be involved.

Exactly .

 

[Robert Clark]

Good for you if you enjoy it.Unfortunately it doesn't do anything for me . Sorry
The dog might have enjoyed it better if the car hadn't decided to die, yet again, just as we got there with a mystery electrical fault that has been going on for some weeks a bit like @DavidG58 turbo problem. So only getting about 15mins walk as I didn't want to get stuck there possibly having to wait for a recovery truck on a bank holiday, if it didn't start.
Fortunately it did. So off to the auto-electrician yet again first thing & Just got to make my mind up whether to chance my arm with it to Alicante in the evening or take the MH ?


Exactly .

Good luck getting problem sorted!

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[Eve]

Coolbeanz
I know exactly what you are saying,but like any experience ,until you live it no one understands, learnt along time ago it's your experience your life your dreams. So glad you are able to do it.
So enjoy!!!!

 

[Coolbeanz]

One thing has become very clear and that is that even if we all had the same income, the same opportunties, the same freedom to go wherever our heart desires there will always be a minority that will find a negative so i will continue to do what I do and will read threads like this and enjoy all the positive comments whilst skimming over the doom and gloomers!

 

[magicsurfbus]

"Living the dream" genuinely has no meaning for me.

I consult my diagram every morning then get on with making reality as pleasant as possible.

Broken Link Removed

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