Creating A Big Life With Small Adventures

I can’t believe it’s already the end of July.

I’ve been so busy… doing what? So many wonderful things.

Helping my sister prepare for her wedding. Spending time with my children. Watching the World Cup. Discovering a new passion for ceramics (something inspired by my last trip to Spain). Exercising a little more. Taking long walks with Umi. Seeing friends. Being there for my pregnant daughter as she prepares to become a mom herself.

My days have been happily consumed by what I call life’s little dinosaurs. They devour my calendar before I even notice.

And honestly? It’s been a beautiful kind of busy.

As I sit here writing, I look around the room that serves as both my office and guest room. The walls are covered with reminders of hope, healing, dreams, and possibility. There are photos, meaningful quotes, little treasures I’ve collected along the way… and three years’ worth of vision boards.

Vision boards have been part of my life for years.

Some dreams stay on them year after year because they’re not goals to cross off a list, they are ways I want to keep living.

I still remember my very first vision board.

I had carefully chosen pictures of places I wanted to visit, experiences I wanted to have, and even the type of car I hoped to buy. Years later, while moving, I stumbled upon that old board. That’s when I realized something incredible.

Almost everything had happened. Even the car!

Not only had I bought the same Honda SUV I’d placed on my board, but it was the exact same color. We named her Betsy. Me and my kids loved that car, as it was an eight seater and I could pack in there many of their friends wherever we would go.

I hadn’t noticed it while it was happening. Life had quietly unfolded while I was busy living it.

The happier I become, the more I notice something: When I focus on possibility instead of limitation, life seems to respond.

Of course, we all need a healthy dose of realism. But sometimes I wonder…Does being “realistic” occasionally become another word for playing small?

Maybe.

These days I don’t spend much time creating elaborate life plans. Instead, I focus on today.

I ask myself one simple question: What feels like today’s adventure?

Sometimes it’s writing. Sometimes it’s making pottery. Sometimes it’s planning my next Camino.

Other times it’s making up a new recipe, reorganizing a drawer, taking Umi for a longer walk, or calling someone I love.

I’ve started seeing life as a collection of adventures.

Some are tiny. Some are life-changing. But every single one matters.

Each one is a gift I give myself. Sometimes they’re gifts I get to share with others.

And maybe that’s one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned.

When we share our journeys, our struggles, our victories, our ordinary days, we remind someone else that they are not alone.

We connect. We recognize pieces of ourselves in one another.

Even those of us who cherish solitude still find comfort in knowing someone else understands.

Connection doesn’t always come through extraordinary stories.

Sometimes it comes from hearing someone say, “Today I tried something new.”

Or… “I finally cleaned my desk.” Or… “I made breakfast a little differently.”

Those tiny moments remind us that life keeps moving. That we’re still growing. That joy isn’t reserved for milestone moments. It’s woven into everyday ones.

So let me ask you…

What adventure are you choosing today?

It doesn’t have to be a big one.

Maybe it’s making your favorite breakfast—or trying a new way to cook your eggs. Maybe it’s finally buying those painting supplies you’ve been thinking about. Maybe it’s taking a walk. Making a healthy meal. Cleaning off your desk. Writing that first page. Making that phone call. 

Everything counts. Every small step is movement. Every tiny adventure is still an adventure.

And when you’re finished, or even halfway there, pause for a moment.

Look at what you accomplished. Smile and congratulate yourself.

Because one day you’ll look back and realize something remarkable: The life you once dreamed about wasn’t built in giant leaps. It was created through hundreds of tiny adventures, one day at a time.

So, what’s your adventure today? I’d love to hear about it.

Keep living. Keep dreaming. Keep becoming. And keep adding magic to each day.

Until next time🌷