How do you live your dreams in the new year? Don’t worry about it. I don’t mean that in a The Secret, trust everything to the universe and you’ll get everything you ever wanted kind of way. Neither do I mean it in a nihilistic, there’s no point to anything so just give up kind of way. I mean it in a realistic, optimistic way. I mean it in the way I posted about early last year. If we help each other, we’ll all get closer to our respective dreams. And we won’t get everything we dream of, but that’s okay, too. So do everything you can, but don’t worry if things don’t turn out just as you imagined them.

Tower Bridge at night

Most of our dreams can only be reached by a combination of effort, assistance, and luck.I wouldn’t be living in London if it weren’t for assistance, for example. If Liz and her flatmates hadn’t taken me in for several weeks while I got all the paperwork in order and bank account set up, and then a job to put some money in that bank account, I wouldn’t have been able to live in this expensive city. I met a couple people through Liz who were looking for someone to do the kind of work I’m good at, so I got some jobs in my field. As the end of January approaches and I need to find a new place to live and new projects to work on, I’m in a much better frame of mind than I was four months ago, when I was in a similar situation. Now I have some work experience in this country, which always looks good on the resumé, and although house hunting is a rough business in the squeezed rental market of London, I know the neighborhoods slightly better and I’ll find something for at least a little while. The dream of living and thriving in London is getting more tangible. I do the work on my own, I go for what I want on my own, but I’m ever grateful for the support behind me as I do it. That’s the stuff dreams are made of.