Don't be afraid to dream big

(Image via Ditte Isager for Bloomingdales) Don't be afraid to dream big and to follow your dreams wherever they may lead you. Open your eyes to their beauty; open your mind to their magic; open your heart to their possibilities. Julie Anne Ford

I dream of so many things.

I dream of owning a big, rambling old home in the English countryside, where I can write books. When I’m not writing I can grow herbs and forage for mushrooms, keep chickens and ride horses, and never once worry about drought.

I dream of becoming a baking queen, making cupcakes, shortcake, French-style bread and cookies every day, and never getting fat.

I dream that one of my books will overnight become a phenomenon of Harry Potter standards, so I can quit my day job and spend the rest of my working life creating worlds and peopling them with marvelous characters.

I dream of taking a whole year off, or maybe two, and exploring the world, digging literally and figuratively for the answers to ancient mysteries, learning new cultures and languages, making new friends.

I dream of moving back to New York, even though I know New York will have moved on without me, and it could never be the same, just as Sydney had moved on without me when I returned to it last year.

So I dream of finding a place that once again feels like home and, when I do, building a community there.

And I have another little dream, but that’s secret for now.

What are your dreams?