Compass & Quill

A friend of mine suggested that in order to help guide myself toward my ideal life, I should first visualize what one perfect day in my ideal life would look/feel like. I’ve been thinking of it for awhile now, and I don’t have much. But I figured that maybe I’d take notes as things come to me. Perhaps all of the pieces will eventually fit together.

For at least 15 years or so, I’ve had this daydream of me as a “grownup”. I guess I’m roughly the same age as the me I’ve been picturing for so long.

In the daydream, I’m wearing comfortable clothes – work boots, fatigue pants or something like them (durable, lots of pockets, easy to move around in), a long-sleeved t-shirt and a scarf. My hair is long again. It’s morning, just after sunrise. There’s a chill in the air, and dew is fresh on the grass. My tent is next to a field, just at a row of trees, and I’m walking away from it, across the field, through the grass. There’s a medieval structure just across the field, and past that, down the hill, a town. I’m headed in that general direction. The air smells sweet. I’m excited about having breakfast with my colleagues, then getting to work.

I’m not sure if the dream is about archaeology or mural conservation (my two earliest loves), and I’m not sure what kind of building it is. I’m not sure if I’m actually doing either of those things for a living, or if I’m just on holiday and helping out with a dig. I do know that I feel like I’m actively researching, and that there’s a mystery I might be able to solve.

Takeaway: I’m excited to travel, work with my hands, write about my work, study history, wear rugged clothing, live minimally in close proximity to nature, and enjoy the company of like-minded people.

I’ll think about it more and get back to you.