This classic saying has some truth to it, but I am starting to wonder if the truth is actually that fun at all.

Jason and I put a new direction on our lives a little over 2 years ago. We were feeling the pressures of society, in a sense. We were conforming to the ideal American dream of owning a home, working a salaried position to help pay for the mortgage, and counting down the days to the allotted 2-week annual vacation.

That’s not to say that we weren’t having fun. We were still going to shows, playing outdoors and always getting together with our amazing group of friends. I cannot imagine how many weekends flew by, because as they say “time flies when you are having fun.”

The weeks did fly by, then the months and eventually the years. On Mondays I would start thinking about Friday, and on Sundays I would start dreading my Mondays.  I started to have anxiety about how fast everything was passing me by, and I was concerned that I was never going to have the time to figure out what it really was I wanted to be when I grow up. After all, even though I was nearing the age of 30, I felt like I was 18 on the weekends, but nearing 40 during the workweek. I had dreams of running my own business one day or taking time to go on new adventures, but I was too busy working 70 hours a week to make any real achievable goals.

That’s when we decided to make a change in the direction our lives were going in. (Read more about that here.)

Soon, we were letting go of our material possession, working in exciting new countries and learning to reevaluate what is really important in our lives. In February 2012, I was reminded that we had left the USA for our first “adventure” 2 years ago. I could not believe that it had only been 2 years. It felt like forever ago. We had achieved so much in such a short amount of time. We started and managed hotels and restaurants in Honduras and Ecuador. We traveled extensively throughout other countries, such as Guatemala and Belize. We learned to scuba dive and surf and even (sort of) speak Spanish. We had driven our car from one coast to the other, visiting over 30,000 miles of terrain in the USA. We had the most amazing wedding ever, and we had the time to plan every detail to make it as special as our relationship is. Plus, we were able to attend two other weddings, and the birth of my beautiful niece.

As it turns out, time does NOT fly by when you are having fun. It actually slowed down for me. I wasn’t just cramming in the fun; I was savoring every moment of it. Fun took on a whole new meaning – it wasn’t just a part of the weekends, it was defining my LIFE.

The past couple years were certainly still filled with long hours and hard work, but the real change was having a different goal in mind for what I was actually working for. I was learning that it was possible to live off of a few bucks a day and to have everything I really needed to survive and be happy. I never sat in front of a television to “unwind”, but instead enjoyed reading and writing more. Our travels took us to places where there are no couches. I know that sounds strange, but basically, your bedroom is inside and everything else is outside. You are constantly surrounded by nature, and you are never “cooped” up indoors. You are inspired constantly by a desire to do more, go more and be more adventurous. Throughout it all, time slows down as you enjoy your day to the fullest. By challenging myself more physically and mentally, I started to see my future better. I started to create new goals that were achievable and I had the time to develop new skills and interests.

We have recently returned to the USA for another page of our lives. It is already a challenge trying to adjust to the demands of “getting by”. Keeping this website and re-reading about all of our adventures helps me remember that the real focus in life should be to live every day to the fullest. If time starts flying by, I know I must be doing something wrong.