The Illusion of Someday

Most of us have a someday or a one day dream.  Maybe it is to travel to some exotic place.  Maybe it is to run a marathon.  Maybe it is the do something else exciting and a little scary.  Maybe it is just to find a different job, or get a dog, or whatever.  We all have one, and often we have many. 

My someday has always been to live abroad.  Ever since I traveled after college, I have had this strong desire to live in another country.  I love being in a different place, with a different culture, different language, and just a different way of being.  I wanted to be there full time. Over the years I have continued to visit new places, but I have always come back home. 

When I met my French husband, I figured this would be the best, and easiest opportunity to live abroad.  Who doesn’t want to live in France, right?  Over the years we talked about it a lot.  Someday we will move back to France. Someday, when the time is right. Someday, when we finish the house. For the last 7 years we have talked about someday.  Finally, our someday is ceasing to be an illusion and is actually becoming a reality.  We move to France in less than a month.

The definition of an illusion is this:  something that looks or seems different from what it is; something that is false or not real but that seems to be true or real; an incorrect idea: an idea that is based on something that is not true

That is why someday is an illusion.  It isn’t real.  It doesn’t exist in a calendar.  It is a fantasy. Someday only ceases to be an illusion when you start taking the actions to reach it.

Someday is also safe.  Reaching your someday takes work, both emotionally and physically.  Sometimes it takes courage. Sometimes it takes time and money. Sometimes it takes planning. Sometimes it means asking for help. Sometimes it means resisting temptation. Sometimes it means saying, "No." It always means taking action.

My husband and I could have continued to speak in somedays and we probably never would have gotten to France. The timing never would have been right. Our jobs would have been too hard to leave. Our daughter would start school and then we wouldn’t want to uproot her from her friends. Our house would continue to need more things.  We could have continued to make excuses and reasons not to move.  Fortunately, we didn’t.

Last fall, when we were in France visiting family and friends we talked about it once again, but this time was different.  This time we set a date—one year from now we will be living in France.  Once we set that date, all the actions that need to happen followed.  Living in France someday became real—something on the calendar, something to work toward.

My someday is ceasing to be an illusion.  Yours can too.