Dance slow, the music won’t last.

Enjoy each occasion, because it will be over before you know it. This is true whether on a vacation or spending time with a loved one. When you go on a seven day trip, you are forced to live in the present, to soak it all in, to dance slow. With a definite end date in sight, you can more easily appreciate the time you have. We will always have more time, right? Sure. Until we do not.

An aspect of moving abroad that we have enjoyed is forcing ourselves into living in the moment. When you decide that you will live in Mexico, you do your best to spend as much quality time with friends and family as possible! With a deadline looming, you treat every interaction as the last one you will have for a very long period, because for us, that was real.

Enjoying each minute of your life and appreciating time is difficult, if not impossible. A simple reminder to “dance slow” can force you back into the now. We have designed our days, months, and years in a way in which there are impending deadlines and we would encourage you to follow suit. Moving away from family or friends can be painful, but sometimes it forces you to appreciate each moment you do have with people. The trick is to stay present and grateful no matter the situation. Always remember to dance slow-every minute of every hour of every day. After all, the music won’t last!

What makes you happy?

Do that thing. For us, traveling is life. What matters most to us is exploring our world, so we choose not to drive new cars. We choose not to have a nice house (we are actually homeless 😊), and we choose to not go out for dinner and drinks. All of these are conscious decisions and we have thought through the consequences of sacrificing these things. We spend nearly all of our time and money on what we value: adventures around the world. This is what makes us happy. We challenge you to reconsider what makes you happiest in life- do your priorities match your values? Actions match your principles?

Experience the world first hand.

It is awesome to ask advice of others- we take full advantage of this benefit before we visit anywhere! Inevitably, however, the only way to know whether the stove is hot is to touch it for yourself ! Experiencing a location, a culture, or even different food gives you a greater perspective than merely using another’s experience to formulate your own conclusion. Living in the border state of Texas, news stations are constantly showing nothing but negative news about Mexico. An entire nation, often demonized. Our perception of Mexico before moving there could not have been more different from what we encountered during our time living there.

We cannot shelter ourselves from the atrocities of the world. It is through seeing the worst in humans, society, etc. that we can fully appreciate the great things.

We are not advocates of putting yourself in harm’s way. If the U.S. Department of State is advising against travel to a certain region, it may be a good idea to proceed with caution. We believe in always being aware of our surroundings. We try not to put ourselves in dangerous situations, and we alway exercise discretion when abroad. Ultimately, we also believe in looking for the best in people and pursuing opportunities that allow us to experience the kindness of others.

Find more creative ways to go for your dreams.

Do what you can with what you have. Cannot afford to buy a lake house? Rent one on Airbnb for the weekend! Cannot quit your job? Explore the option of working remotely! We have never had an exorbitant amount of money or other resources to travel, yet we have always managed to travel while working with an average salary, time off, and family obligations. Find more creative ways to live your dreams within your current means and you may just surprise yourself.

Have less. Do more. Be More.

This simple phrase forms the main pillars of our values, priorities, and actions. Have less stuff, clutter, and excuses. Do more by playing, exploring, and learning. Be more loving, creative, and selfless.

“Have less, do more, be more” is a phrase in which we use as a guide for our everyday decisions. Whether that decision involves moving across the world or merely attacking a daily task list, we prioritize our life by considering this one simple expression. Does this choice add more value to our life, or does it add more clutter? Does doing this make us more active or less active? Are we acting out of egotistical reasons or for others? Living by this maxim has freed us take action that moves our lives closer to living our dreams!

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Slow Dance

by David L. Weatherford

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
’cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.