A Dream Discovered

We went to the coast for an early anniversary celebration. It was fabulous. Seeing the ocean and smelling the salt air was just what the doctor ordered. And so much for trying to keep my 3 year old out of the water. The concept of being at the "beach" and not being able to swim just doesn't compute. She and daddy went to dip their toes in the water and the next thing you know, she's up to her waist in faaaaareezing cold water. It didn't even phase her though. Oh, to be three again.

The drive was beautiful. Incredible coast line on one side, stunning Oregon forest on the other. A perfect dichotomy. During the drive my husband and I had one of our "where are we going?" talks. And I don't mean what town are we stopping in next but where is our life going? What do we want to be doing next? We have these talks a lot. It's always good to stop and re-evaluate where we are and where we're headed. Lately there have been more questions than answers but it's still good to talk it all out.

There's not a moment that I regret putting my professional career on hold to be home with my girls. I am so thankful and wouldn't trade one day of it for anything. We've made a lot of sacrifices to make it happen and while we may not have a lot of the "stuff" we want, we certainly have everything we need. That being said, I still have dreams for the next phase of our lives and try to balance appreciating the present with planning and looking forward to the future. Normally I keep these thoughts to myself because, well, they're sort of just dreams, and I've had hundreds of them in the last few years. But what the heck, I'm just going to throw it out there because wouldn't it be so cool if it really does happen and you all read about it when it was just a pipe dream? I actually have it broken down into one-year, five-year and ten-year plans (I can just hear my sisters laughing at me). I'll just share part of it for now. During the drive down the coast I told my husband that I would love to open a little cafe. I would sell a variety of fresh pressed vegetable and fruit juices, smoothies, coffees and teas, and have a small menu of sandwiches, salads and soups made mostly from fresh, local organic ingredients. I can see the menu. I can smell the soups simmering. I can picture the decor on the walls and hear the music playing. I see myself smiling and talking story with everyone, telling them which juice to order and how they have to come back and bring their whole family. But I also want to have a little section that sells natural home and body products. I already know how I want to display them. Okay, and then there's the mini-spa: a peaceful place to get a massage, maybe a body wrap or scrub. It's a must. Oh, and while we're dreaming, if there's space I want a room for some fun exercise classes: yoga, salsa dancing, mini-trampoline jumping. My husband loved my ideas but we both sort of laughed and wondered how those things would flow together in real life.

And then, it happened. At our last stop on the coast, we found my dream. Yup, there it was in the flesh, tucked away in a quaint little coastal town, run by a mother and daughter. I cried.

There you have it: The Herb Jar. A cafe, market and spa wrapped into one. It's the cutest little place. I ordered their green smoothie and it was almost too yummy to be green. I walked around in amazement taking it all in.

The menu of delicious juices, smoothies and coffee.

The selection of home and body products.

The amazing assortment of teas.

I didn't want to leave. So I hung out outside.

I smiled the whole drive home. Smiled at the thought of new adventures. Thankful for new passion and purpose. Encouraged by one mother's dream turned reality. Excited for all the possibilities. Maybe stumbling across this little gem was a glimpse into my future, I don't know. But it did show me that dreams -no matter how big and crazy -can become reality. I know there is something great on the horizon. I just know it. And if one day I'm standing in front of my own cafe door, you're all invited.

Always Dreaming,

Kim