Last week, this blog hit a big milestone:  100,000+ all-time page views which you can see below.

My dream is to be a writer.  I’ve had this dream since I was 22 years old.  I started writing a journal.  And then I started writing short stories.  One of these short stories turned into a 100+ page short novel.  I remember sitting there in awe of what I’d accomplished.  I never thought I was smart or disciplined enough to write a novel.  But there in front of me, was 100 written pages, proving to myself that I could do it.  At that moment, I realized what I wanted to do with my life:

I wanted to be a writer; an artist.  I wanted to create beautiful stories and experiences with my time alive.  I wanted to devote my entire life to accomplish this dream.

But I am more than just a dreamer living in a fantasy land.  I am also a pragmatic, logical human being, and I realized there are two paths to living my dream to be a writer.

To become a successful creative professional, I realized there were two ways to get there:

1) I would have to write a book, and then get extremely lucky to become rich and successful. Honestly, it would probably have to be a 1 in a million chance that this could happen to me.

Or….

2)I could work my butt off for a few years, and save all the money I would make. I could then invest it, so that money would stop being an issue for me in the short-term.  Once I had enough money saved and invested that I didn’t need to worry about money anymore, then I could commit my life 100% to my dream of being the best writer and creative that I could be.

15 years after the moment I realized what I wanted to do with my life when I was 22 years old, I am still pursuing this dream now.  I am still trying, working, and creating the life I want to live.

That’s what this blog is about.  It’s a place where I am trying to build the life I want to live, while trying to create articles that show you how to live the life you dream about.

The path is simple:  Save and invest your money so that you don’t have to think about money anymore.  Then once money is no longer an issue for you in the short-term, focus all of your energy building and creating the life you dream of living.

So for everyone who has read an article of mine that has helped us get to 100,000+ page views, I just want to say thank you.  You are helping me create my dream.   100,000 page views.  It’s just the beginning.  Now onto a million+, and toward that book I’ve always dreamed of writing and becoming famous for.  Keep following along to be on the journey to be there.  God bless.

Here’s some pictures from our trip to Dillon, Colorado to visit Torque, and his vacation rental property, last week if you’re wondering what we’re up to away from the blog.  It included hiking, mountain biking, natural hot springs, and horseback riding.  It was a beautiful road trip for around $500 that was a great way to close down summer.  How was all of this only $500?  Some of our best friends like to share the places they own, so no lodging costs, and we study ways to maximize our money on a trip.  🙂

Horseback Riding, Safari Ranch, Colorado. Amanda’s dream. Galloping was a little too intense for me.

Hanging lake climb, Colorado. It was a mile hike straight up a rocky mountain to this incredible waterfall and turquoise colored pond. Awesome.

Mountain biking at Breckenridge Colorado. Me living my dream. Flying down a mountain on a bike was a little too intense for Amanda.

Relaxing after our hike in the Glenwood Hot Springs.

Enjoying a simple evening hike above lake Dillon, and Breckenridge Colorado in the background.

The view from the top of the Hanging Lake Hiking Trail. (The pond and waterfalls were behind us.)

STUFF WE LOVE:

Personal Capital is a net-worth calculating tool that turns your finances into a puzzle that’s fun to solve.  It’s free and makes monitoring your money easy.

Bluehost is how we started this blog.  Launch yourself onto the internet.  Your friends are out there.  It’s an easy to start your blog today.