Thoughts on Living the Dream from Cynthia Clampitt

In pursuing my dreams, I’ve discovered that goals often turn out to be doors, rather than destinations, leading to other goals and to rewards undreamed of at the outset.

  Both Australia and writing have given me more than I expected. In Australia, I discovered a remarkable and fascinating land of friendly people and stunning contrasts. I had, to a certain extent, expected that, but I did not foresee the effects the trip would have on me, from discovering what I truly need to completely changing what I expected from life.

I also learned that I was braver and stronger than I’d imagined.

As for writing, I love words, ideas, a well-turned phrase, but it has turned out that my love of sharing has been rewarded even more than my love of writing. I have been overjoyed to hear from readers who felt that reading my book was like traveling with a friend, that they discovered things they never knew, that they became more open to the world and began looking at things, and even, in some cases, that they felt empowered, that it helped them decide to pursue something they loved, rather than settling for what was expected.

When I’m asked what advice I’d give to someone who wanted to pursue a dream career, I think people are surprised that my approach is so lacking in drama.

• Create a business plan.
  
• Calculate how much money you’ll need and how long it will reasonably take to begin seeing results.
  
• Figure in things like whether you have kids who are about to go into college, and adjust your timeline as needed.
  
• Become rampantly frugal
  
• Find ways to keep yourself motivated and on track.
  

For me, that included having an envelope on my vanity marked “Australia.” Every time I didn’t buy something unnecessary, such as a latte or album, I put the money in there.

I created an “escape tape” of songs, such as “I’m Already Gone” and “Living in the Land Down Under,” and played it all the time. And I prepared, honing my writing skills, reading about Australia, practicing my photography. Do whatever it takes to keep moving forward. And expect it to take a while. 

Freelance writing has its ups and downs, but even in down times, I’m pleased I made the choice I did. When things are good, I’m more than content—I’m having a wonderful time. In my corporate days, I almost never took vacations, and now I consider travel a necessity.

I’ve traveled on six continents, often having adventures that would have been unthinkable before Australia. I write about the things I love, primarily history, food (mostly culinary history), and travel. I am doing everything now that I once thought I’d have to save for retirement—so no need to retire! 

I’d love to write a sequel to Waltzing Australia (I’ve been back to Australia three more times, and have many more adventures to share), but only time will tell if I’ll get to do that. However, even if that doesn’t happen, I’m pleased to have been able to share that first grand adventure. I hope readers come away with a sense of knowing Australia, but more importantly, with a sense that dreams can come true, if one pays the price.