Karma

"If you live your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. Your dreams will come true."

A few years ago the VP of my group handed out dollar bills to all 500 employees at a summer outing. He told us to write something on the dollar that would motivate us. Then throw it in our wallets, so everytime we saw the cash, it'd remind us of what we're trying to achive. Most of my co-workers used the buck that day, but, being the sentimental doodler that I am, I spent the next day finding my perfect quote...and then Sharpie-ing the quote on my crisp dollar. Instead of crinkling the cash, it found a spot on my docking station at work. Day in and day out, I read the quote. Always believing my dreams would come true.

Step 1: Create a Bucket List

Step 2: Live out your dreams.

Flash forward to today. May 22, 2012. The day before I start phase 3 of my life. Tomorrow Joey, Mike and I leave on a cross country road trip. Destination: San Diego, California. I can't believe my dreams are coming true. About ten years ago, I was looking at colleges and had hopes of then going to a grad school for design in SoCal. Never happened. I ended up studying marketing at UMass Amherst, falling in love with Joey and getting a job at EMC. No regrets with how any of that panned out, but Joey, my family, my best friends and basically anyone that got into a conversation with me about the weather knew that I still wanted...needed!...to live in Cali.

Joey would sometimes ask why I wanted to move to SD. He told me to "sell him". So why?

• weather - Being the beachbum, sun loving girl I am, this is the biggest factor. Need I say more? Because I can go on and on, but I really don't think I need to.
• breaking away - I LOVE MY FAMILY. But the idea of building my own life on my own screams independence and there's something about that that I need (apparently). I just feel like I have to do this.

Those were the big reasons I had for him. He wasn't sold. Weather definitely doesn't impact him like I do and he's been living on his own, away from my mother, since high school. I told him if he ever went there, he'd understand... so I took him. My plan was to show San Diego off (as if it needed it) and have Joey fall in love.

February 2011, Joey and I spent 12 days in SoCal. He loved the people, the food, the diversity and, of course, the weather. We came home and, in the midst of the worst winter in recent years, we discussed the idea of moving. He told me it wasn't the right time, but seemed pretty upbeat about the idea. If you know Joey at all, you know he doesn't mention something, especially to me, if he doesn't see it as a possibility.

My crazy goal was to be living in San Diego by Feb. 2012. I wasn't doing anything to make that possible, but that was my "goal". The year went by, this year the winter was ridiculously mild, and Joey was still in the middle of huge self-motivated projects at work. Once he finished those and wasn't seeing any bigger shoes to fill in his office, he resigned. April 2012, two months after my pipedream of a goal, he told me he was ready to move. And here we are.

I couldn't have done it, and I wouldn't be doing it, without Joey. I had the dream, but he is the mastermind behind this move. Together we are living out our dreams. And we're inviting you to come along for the ride. In the next week we will be travelling to Canton, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Omaha, Nebraska; Ft. Collins, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Las Vegas, Nevada. 6 stops. 6 nights. Then we will be living across the country in San Diego, basically the farthest away from Massachusetts you can get while still in the continental USA. We cannot wait. More to come tomorrow :)