A Paradoxical Dilemma
Hello Friend,
Going all in on a dream is hard. Living in a van is hard. Writing a novel is hard. But one of our hardest challenges so far has been sharing our story publicly.
Talking about ourselves is weird. Talking about ourselves is always uncomfortable. For one, it can feel self-interested or arrogant to talk about ourselves to anyone. Why should anyone take interest in what we have to say? Talking about ourselves to a camera and a nebulous audience is even more uncomfortable. It doesn’t feel natural and it can feel pointless at times. What do people care about? Is anyone going to read/see this? Every person is busy living their own life, so who are we to warrant your time and attention? And yet here we are…talking about our personal experience. Note: If you are reading this, we sincerely appreciate your support – it truly means the world to us.
Being honest and authentic is vulnerable and scary. Sharing the highlights and curating content that makes it seem like we have it all figured out is slightly easier than showing the messy reality. It means our precious egos are safely hidden behind the façade. But we didn’t set out to share our story to brag about our experiences. We wanted to give an honest view into the challenges of doing something out of the ordinary and going all in on a wild dream. To show that whether we succeed in our goals or end up going off course, the journey was worth the risk. The lessons we learn, the skills we develop, the experiences we have, the connections we make, and the insights we gain about ourselves – those are the rewards for following the call of our hearts. But talking about challenges is so difficult while we are experiencing them in real time. Will we make it over this hurdle? Is this the point when we give up? Who are we to encourage others to follow their dreams when we don’t even know whether we will achieve ours? Putting ourselves out there and sharing our feelings for others to critique and judge feels like dangling our hearts on a chain out in the open and hoping that the wolves will be gentle with them. Most of our fears are unwarranted – we’ve received nothing but positive feedback and encouragement since we started posting. We have a lot of work ahead to unravel those limiting beliefs and to be comfortable with being vulnerable, but all great journeys have to start somewhere.
We can’t ignore our privilege.Talking about hardship is a double-edged sword. On one hand we want to share experiences that resonate with people, to show the messy parts of the process, and to give a preview of a different way of life. On the other hand, we are painstakingly aware of how privileged we are to have the opportunity to do what we are doing. Yes, we worked our asses off and made a lot of sacrifices to get where we are. But we also received a TON of help along the way. The challenges we encounter may feel extreme compared to the comfortable white-collar lifestyle we left behind, but they are also the challenges that we chose to face to be able to do what we love every day. We aren’t fighting for our lives. We aren’t worried about finding our next meal. We have a large support system. We live in a country with an abundance of resources where we are free to pursue our dreams. We can’t ignore these privileges and do not wish to belittle or demean any of the challenges that anyone else is experiencing in life.
Social media is a mixed bag. Like most technology, social media can be seen as a tool or a weapon – the choice is in the wielder. We can’t help but see how social media has been used to commoditize attention and advance consumerism. If this journey has shown us anything, it’s that the real world is much different and much more wonderful than the one we experience through our pocket-sized computers. BUT on the other hand, social media is a beautiful invention. How amazing is it that we live in a time where we can connect with people from all across the globe? We can learn ideas and perspectives from various walks of life with the swipe of a finger. We have access to more information and knowledge than at any time in history and all in an instant. The potential and the opportunities granted to us through the internet are a true gift.
Grappling with these opposing views has resulted in many stalemates. To post or not to post? If we sit with that question for too long, the moment passes and inaction becomes the default. That doesn’t feel good either. We want to connect with people. We wouldn’t be writing our series if we didn’t want others to enjoy it. All of this is to say, we are still trying to find a format for sharing our story and building a community that is authentic, that is in line with our values, and that supports the change we would like to see in the world.
If you have any opinions, advice, or feedback on our ramblings, we would be incredibly grateful to hear it. What kind of content would you like to see? Do you have questions for us? Are we wasting our energy with these posts? WE VALUE YOUR THOUGHTS.
Thank you so much for sharing your time and energy to support us on our journey.
With gratitude,
Tim and Courtney
