In the beginning...

I am starting this a little late considering I am already in Hong Kong. So, let's rewind a bit. I am a vivid dreamer, in reality and at night when I sleep. The week before I left for this insane journey, every night was filled with a different imaginary city. I did little to no research on Hong Kong on purpose. I like to have no expectations of a place before jumping in. My first dream was super sized.

Doug was driving me and we were headed in the direction of Detroit, but it obviously wasn't Detroit at all. We were going up and down these huge roadways and highways, 10 lanes wide. There were huge Sears Tower- sized cranes and scaffolding above us as we drove in and out of this vast, abandoned industrial landscape. We were the size of mites compared to everything else around us. When we reached our destination, it was very European. The streets were all the sudden very narrow and the houses tightly packed together. We found the house that I was going to move in to and it was right on the water. What water?? I don't know! But looking north across whatever body of water it was, there were huge snow capped mountains and there was floating ice drifting toward my window. In my dream, I remember feeling very far away from home.

In another dream, Doug and I had landed in what looked like Blade Runner. It was nighttime all the time with bright city lights. Graphics floated in mid-air advertising noodle shops, phone carriers and spas. No one looked at us or even acknowledged our presence. In this dream, we had very little direction and basically had our mouths open the whole time. While the emotions and the imagery were very thick in the dream, the story line was not.

The week leading up to my departure, seemed to go very fast and also very slow. I went through much self doubt. To all the people who think I made this choice look easy, it was not. I am a lover of life. My life in Wisconsin, was a dream life. I was very happy there. But there were things missing from my future that I was not going to grow old without. I can love "moments" fully and I do. But when people say they have a dream, they don't just mean they have ideas. Having a dream means pushing yourself to do things you would not normally do to achieve something that you haven't already achieved. As far as I'm concerned, being scared and uncomfortable forces you to grow. I am ready to grow. But I am totally terrified and constantly wonder if this was the right thing. I am human. This doubt doesn't change my path.