Many of us believe we’re living ethically by sacrificing our own desires for others. We find joy in giving, which is wonderful, but we mustn’t neglect ourselves. We tell ourselves, “I have to make Mom and Dad happy and pursue medicine as they expect,” or “My husband wants to live in this expensive neighborhood, but I’d prefer a simpler life.” We often think, “I must do everything for everyone else, leaving no time for myself.” By burying our own dreams, we rob ourselves of authenticity.

We even worry about what the Joneses think when we consider chasing our dreams. We tell ourselves, “I need to drive a certain car, maintain a specific lifestyle, or dress a certain way to earn their respect.” But the Joneses are often the least inspired and least happy people. Their opinions are irrelevant.

You are the creator of your life—nobody else. So, what do you want? Life is short, and your days are numbered. Start thinking about what will truly make you happy. It’s your time to shine.

A Personal Awakening

Let me share my story. I was living the American Dream: a big house in the “right” neighborhood, two cars, a husband, kids, and a dog. My husband and I had degrees to prove our intelligence and success. We kept our property pristine, with gleaming windows and green grass. I dressed the kids for church on Sundays and sat in the front row. But it was like painting our toenails while our feet were broken—or, as my husband says, “putting lipstick on a pig.” Everything seemed perfect, yet something was missing. We were living a dream, but it wasn’t ours.

In 2010, both my mother and father-in-law died of cancer, shattering our routine. Standing by their hospital beds, watching them fade, forced us to confront our own mortality. Life doesn’t last forever. We needed to start truly living while we still could.

After my mother’s death, I faced countless fears: admitting what I wanted, revealing my true self, trying new things, failing, standing out, or blending into a dull, gray existence. I was terrified of dying without ever having truly lived.

Slowly, I began confronting these fears. I gave myself permission to decide what I wanted from life. If my time came, what would I want to have accomplished? I wanted to be a great mom and wife, spend time inspired by people and experiences, write books and articles, maintain my blog at renaissancehousewife.com, and travel.

My mother gave me life 37 years ago, and her death gave me a second chance at it. The day she took her last breath, I reevaluated what life means. Through the grief, a persistent thought emerged: “If you don’t follow your dreams now, you never will. Live true to yourself, and forget convention.”

That marked the start of a new me. Today, I’m writing and getting published, spending joyful hours with my husband and family, and traveling. We’re currently living for six months in an off-the-grid home by the sea in Belize, with more dreams on the horizon.

This life didn’t just happen. I made it happen. There’s no dream fairy waiting to tap you on the shoulder. If you’re waiting for a sign, this is it.

Following your dreams isn’t easy. It’s not the simplest path, and it may disappoint those who expect you to conform. Be kind and loving, but stay firm in your resolve to forge your own way. The path you choose for yourself is the only one that leads to true joy.

Whose dream are you living—yours or someone else’s? Now is your time to shine. Go make your dreams happen.

Guest Article By: Domini Hedderman
Domini Hedderman is a blogger and travel writer. For more tips, advice, and lessons learned on the road, follow her story at renaissancehousewife.com.

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We’re living in southern Belize’s Toledo District at the moment, on a family sabbatical with our four young children. When we go out for a day trip with the family, we’re surprised at the uniqueness and charm of each individual town.

If you are focusing your trip to southern Belize, you can fly into Philip Goldson International Airport in Belize City and rent a car to drive the five hours south. Alternatively, you can take a small commuter flight out of Belize City into Placencia and either rent a car there or use the public transportation (buses). I would recommend having your own vehicle, though, since much of Belize is very spread out.

PUNTA GORDA

About an hour an a half south is the largest town in the Toledo District, Punta Gorda. Dubbed ‘pG’ by locals, this authentic town of 5,500 residents sits right on the Caribbean Sea. The infrastructure here in PG is the most developed in all of southern Belize.

Market day in PG is a cool experience if you’re in town on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday. Local farmers from the surrounding villages come in on these days to sell their produce. Also for sale is clothing, household items, and handmade furniture built by local Mennonite families. A building at the market houses the fish market where you can purchase what the local fisherman caught this morning and even have it cleaned for you.

In general, you’ll find everything you need for a nice vacation right in PG, including restaurants, lodging (try Hickatee Lodge just outside of PG), and a plethora of tourist attractions. If you’re basing yourself in PG, you can set up day trips to tour a chocolate farm, visit a butterfly farm, or learn about history at multiple Mayan ruins.

PLACENCIA

Placencia is located at the tip a long, narrow peninsula, and when driving into town you can often see turquoise water on both sides. Placencia is a small village dotted with colorful houses, shops, and restaurants. Even though it’s technically accessible by car, the community has a decided island feel. When driving into town, keep your windows down to fill your lungs with some of the freshest air you’ll get anywhere.

On your way into town, you’ll see housing of various styles and you might have the thought, as I did, that development is coming to this small village. Some are thatched or wooden huts, so typical here in Belize. Others are two-story vacation homes that offer every luxury a first-world visitor cares to enjoy. Most are painted the bright pastels befitting a Caribbean, seafront village.

Tiny shops and art galleries line the main dirt road in Placencia. you’ll have your pick here of many quaint hotels and B&Bs, most right on the beach. And, when it is time for a meal or a drink, you’ll find a choice of beach-side watering holes that offer everything from casual, local fare like conch ceviche to upscale dining.

In Placencia, you’ll see kayakers picking their way over slight swells and others just sitting and chatting on the benches adorning the beach. Belize’s Barrier Reef can be reached with a short boat ride from Placencia. This Reef is second in size only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. With a ton of tours available, Placencia can be as active – or as contemplative – as you’d like.

MONKEY RIVER VILLAGE

For an interesting side trip out of Placencia, Monkey River Village, a small Creole fishing community, feels like a world away. A 30-minute guided boat ride will get you to this tiny town of 300, where you can stop for a meal at Alice’s to dine on a typical, very reasonably-priced Belizean meal of rice, beans, and stewed chicken.

Afterward, your local guide will take you down Monkey River, pointing out iguanas, howler monkeys, and crocodiles. I would recommend doing the night tour of the River, when the moon is high and the stars are allowed to be bright without the light pollution of a developed area. At night, the noises of the jungle are deep and mysterious and, if you look carefully, you can see yellow eyes glowing in the trees.

Somehow, the night time is better for storytelling. Our guide was Percy, a local from the Village who knows the jungle inside and out. He’s tramped its depths since he was a boy and the only way out of town was in a dugout canoe down the river. The knowledgeable guides will teach you about flora and fauna, call out to the howler monkeys high in the canopy, and maybe even catch a crocodile for everyone on the tour to hold.

HOPKINS VILLAGE

Another up-and-coming tourist town that still holds onto its Belizean identity is Hopkins Village, the largest Garifuna settlement in Belize. This sea-side town has a variety of dining and lodging options and has a distinctly coastal, bohemian feel. This town, like so many areas of southern Belize, is at the end of a rough road but well worth the bumpy ride.

Known for its friendly people and beautiful views, Hopkins is a great place to both kick back and enjoy a laid-back vibe and soak up the local culture. Here you can learn how to play the traditional Garifuna drum, go birding, visit the largest live barrier reef in the world for snorkeling, or take a tour of a nearby lagoon to view Caribbean wildlife.

Southern Belize offers visitors many options for soaking up local ambiance, learning about the culture, and exploring the natural world. A week-long vacation is not enough to see it all. I guess that’s why we decided to stay for six months.

Guest Article By: Domini Hedderman

Domini Hedderman is a blogger and travel writer. For more tips, advice, and lessons learned on the road, follow her story at renaissancehousewife.com.

The post Four Towns to Visit in Southern Belize appeared first on .

Some dream of escaping this reality and moving to a simpler place, even if only for a short time. Who doesn’t dream of living on an island with palm trees and monkeys? Ahhh… now that’s simplicity.

But I can’t do that, you think. I have kids. I have a house. I have a job.

I will argue that you CAN move to that island or to another foreign location. Relocating away from your homeland has the power to break you out of your regular routine. Refreshing your geography—even for a temporary sabbatical—can calm you, refresh you, and inspire your creativity.

How do I know you can do this? Because I am doing it right now.

Last month, I moved to Belize for a six-month family sabbatical with my husband and four kids (ages 11, 10, 7, and 2). We live in a comfortable and beautiful off-the-grid property directly on the Caribbean Sea. We’re enjoying each other more than we ever could in our busy life back home. We’re savoring outdoor activities, fresh air, sunshine, and healthy foods—all for about the same cost of living as back in the States.

Making It Possible

How is this possible?

Get up close and personal with your expenses.
Many people really have no idea what they spend month to month and would assume they could never afford to live the life of their dreams.

Sit down with a good old-fashioned pen and paper. Make a list of everything you spend money on: housing, utilities, health care, transportation, entertainment, school tuition, clothing, gifts, and vacations. Take a close look at your most significant expenditures. What expenses can you trim to free up some money for travel?

When we left, we obviously did not have to continue paying school tuition at the private Catholic school we send our kids to back home. That saved us several thousand dollars, which covered our airfare to Belize.

We rented our house to a close family member who needed a short-term rental. Not only do we have a trusted person watching over our home, but we also have some relief from the related bills.

The third significant expense we are saving on while in Belize is travel. We live in an area in Pennsylvania that typically becomes gray and wet from November until March. This means we often escape for a week or two during the winter months, but vacations cost money. Why vacation when you can travel? Make the most of the money you invest in airfare by staying in one location for a sabbatical.

Figure out how to keep making money while you’re gone.
These days, many people work independently from home, either for themselves or for a company. If you don’t already, consider how you can make this a reality. This way, you can live and work anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection.

If you can afford to take time off without pay, check with your employer to see if they have a family leave policy. Many companies understand that well-rested employees who take breaks are more focused, creative, and productive than those stuck in cubicle prisons. You can find a list of companies with family sabbatical programs at yoursabbatical.com.

Alternatively, consider an income source that doesn’t rely on a traditional 9-to-5 job. Will your company allow you to quit but hire you back as an independent contractor? Can you rent your house out while you’re gone or sell it and pocket the proceeds? Can you invest in rental real estate for added cash flow? Opportunities like copywriting, freelance writing, and freelance design work may be options. Do you create handmade items you can sell through a website like www.etsy.com? What about consulting in your field of expertise? Depending on where you plan to take your family for your sabbatical, you may be able to teach skills like English, guitar, or yoga. You might also consider temporary jobs offered to immigrants; for instance, in Canada, many companies are looking for foreign workers. If you’re considering Canada, you can learn more about hiring a foreign worker in Canada (en savoir plus sur l’engagement d’un travailleur étranger au Canada).

Also, consider the belongings you own. Which items can you sell to fund the rich experience of traveling with your kids? Think about what you buy regularly and decide what you can start living without. Don’t forget that accumulated savings count just as much as earnings.

To keep expenses low while traveling, look into house-sitting opportunities like we did. We’re house-sitting the home we live in now in Belize, and we’re asked to pay only for our utilities (which are low since we use solar power and rainwater), a caretaker, and personal expenses. Alternatively, if you live in an area many people want to visit, search for “home exchange” to find websites offering listings of people wishing to swap homes for weeks or months. Both options can help keep your expenses low while on the road.

Loosen up your idea of what education means for your kids.
Educating your children is serious business and nothing to take lightly. My children are now attending a rural school in Belize, where the education seems basic at best. That said, I believe my kids are gaining life experiences well worth a slight regression in math class. All three of my school-age kids are A and B students at their school back home, so I’m not worried about them falling too far behind.

I feel that parents are the true educators, regardless of which school you choose for your children. I supplement their education at home and work with both their school in the States and their new school in Belize to ensure they stay on par with their American peers.

Monkey River Village, Belize, doesn’t offer the best education for my kids, but there are many locations parents can choose for a family sabbatical that do offer superior schooling options. In Costa Rica, for instance, visiting families can send their kids to local schools, bilingual (Spanish and English) schools, or even more expensive international schools that house the children of diplomats and wealthier families. Arguments can be made for any of these options—the point is that options do exist.

If you want to travel more often—say, take a cycling trip across Europe—you might choose to homeschool your kids using the many online resources and support networks available. Homeschooling ensures your kids continue to learn while you explore the world. Plus, you get the added benefit of hands-on learning. What better way to teach social studies than by visiting local villages to learn about customs and culture? Or have a history lesson take place at a Mayan ruin?

Connect with families already living your dreams.
When you’re daydreaming about taking a family travel sabbatical, remember that you’re not alone. Many other families have felt just as stifled by their lives as you do, but they followed their dreams and are now traveling around the globe with their children. Some go for just six months, while others love the road so much they’re gone for years. These global citizens are both inspired and inspiring, eager to share their experiences, offer advice, and help you navigate the beginning stages of “Is it really possible?”

In any case, it’s never a bad idea to leverage the experience of others to gather momentum for your own journey.

So, if you’re thinking of taking your family away for a travel sabbatical, it might be time to make your dream a reality. Why wait any longer when you don’t know what tomorrow will bring? With a little planning, saving, and research, traveling for an extended time with your kids is entirely possible.

Guest Article By: Domini Hedderman
Domini Hedderman is a blogger and travel writer. For more tips, advice, and lessons learned on the road, follow her story at renaissancehousewife.com.

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