Cynthia Unger's Blog - Posts Tagged "fulfill-your-dreams"
Daydreaming: A Powerful Gift of Self-Love
Daydreaming is often dismissed as an idle pastime, but I have come to understand it as an act of deep self-love. It is in these quiet, imaginative moments that the seeds of our future are planted. Some dreams need constant watering—attention, effort, belief—while others, once rooted, take on a life of their own, growing and thriving in ways we never expected.
One of my most persistent and powerful dreams has been to travel frequently and fearlessly. But beyond that, my deeper intention has been to teach my children to explore the world without fear. Somewhere along the way in my small-town upbringing, I internalized an invisible boundary—a quiet belief that I wasn’t ready for the big, wide world. I never found the gentle encouragement I needed to push past that hesitation, so I built it myself.
I built a life where travel wasn’t just an indulgence—it was a necessity for growth and understanding. Over the past twenty years, we have taken many family trips, each one reinforcing this lesson in its own way. A dear friend once told me to budget for travel as if it were as essential as food and shelter, and I took that to heart. Some years we embarked on grand adventures; others, we stayed local and explored what was within reach. This year, I’m starting local again—and who knows what the future holds? I remain open.
Three Trips That Changed Everything
Among all of our adventures, three trips stand out in my heart as defining moments in our journey.
1. Disney: A Defiant Act of Healing
Our first trip to Disney was an act of defiance against grief. That year, I lost my dad, and the pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. In the face of that loss, I ran—1,500 miles away. I ran from the void he left behind, from the weight of his absence in my family. I ran away from my mother and my siblings. I left them with the void of my father and the absence of my small family during Christmas. I am not proud of that. Looking back, I was focused on the hurt and I really couldn’t see that my presence would matter to others. They had each other, and I was focused on myself and my small family. I was just beginning to understand the power of shifting my awareness, of choosing to focus on the positive. My solution? Take my small family to the happiest place on Earth.
I don’t regret it. That trip was a significant push past my travel fears, a new experience to build upon. But I also learned that travel, like life, does not always go as planned. I allowed for just one day at Disney, and my anxiety got the best of me. Long lines, broken rides, spilled ice cream, and even a migraine that left me collapsed on the floor of a public restroom—it was a day full of challenges. Yet even in that chaos, I see now that the experience was part of the journey. Lessons learned. Foundations built. The importance of alignment planted a seed.
2. Fifteen Days in Florida: The Art of Letting Go
The next trip that stands out was our fifteen-day adventure through Florida in February 2016. This was everything I had hoped for in a close family vacation—fifteen days of living out of a truck and a motel room, planning each day as it came. No rigid itinerary, no overthinking—just going where the day led us. It was the first time I truly let go and trusted the journey. That trip taught me that structure has its place, but there is magic in surrendering to the moment and believing dreams come true, big and small.
3. 2019: A Cross-Country Road Trip, Perfect Timing
This trip was the most powerful and transformative one yet. I had been dreaming of a cross-country road trip for over a decade, but I always held back. The timing never felt right. The budget never seemed to stretch far enough. I feared taking too much from our family’s resources or disrupting future plans—not to mention trying to schedule the time away from work.
But in 2019, the tug was undeniable. It was now or never. My children were growing up. Would we ever be able to pull this off again? This year was not our best year. Loss and sickness had a great impact over our home and happiness. 2019 was full of challenges. Logic would tell me this definitely was not a year for a family vacation. But the pull was strong—that now or never feeling just wouldn’t go away. And my family needed healing. For me, there is no better answer to healing of all kinds than to seek time in nature. I didn’t know it at the time, but looking back, I can see the divine timing of it all.
That summer, I secured nearly three weeks off from work, and that wasn’t easy to do. Defiance at work was not my usual way, but this one required me to stand my ground and compromises were made. We packed up our pickup truck with camping supplies and bicycles. We spent 20 of 25 days living out of that truck, crossing vast landscapes, soaking in the openness and beauty of this country. The experience was overwhelming in the best way. The growth and healing that took place cannot quite be put into words. It was a treasure of a trip, and I can’t wait to get back out there and build upon it.
The Future: Remaining Open
I don’t know where our next big adventure will take us, but I do know this: travel, in any form, is an act of expansion. Whether it’s a local road trip or a cross-country journey, every experience has a way of reshaping who we are.
The lesson in all of this? Give yourself the time and space to daydream. Let those visions take root. Some will require consistent care, others will flourish naturally. Either way, the act of dreaming is an act of self-love—and one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself.
This year, I begin again, staying open to the possibilities.
Where will your next adventure take you?
One of my most persistent and powerful dreams has been to travel frequently and fearlessly. But beyond that, my deeper intention has been to teach my children to explore the world without fear. Somewhere along the way in my small-town upbringing, I internalized an invisible boundary—a quiet belief that I wasn’t ready for the big, wide world. I never found the gentle encouragement I needed to push past that hesitation, so I built it myself.
I built a life where travel wasn’t just an indulgence—it was a necessity for growth and understanding. Over the past twenty years, we have taken many family trips, each one reinforcing this lesson in its own way. A dear friend once told me to budget for travel as if it were as essential as food and shelter, and I took that to heart. Some years we embarked on grand adventures; others, we stayed local and explored what was within reach. This year, I’m starting local again—and who knows what the future holds? I remain open.
Three Trips That Changed Everything
Among all of our adventures, three trips stand out in my heart as defining moments in our journey.
1. Disney: A Defiant Act of Healing
Our first trip to Disney was an act of defiance against grief. That year, I lost my dad, and the pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. In the face of that loss, I ran—1,500 miles away. I ran from the void he left behind, from the weight of his absence in my family. I ran away from my mother and my siblings. I left them with the void of my father and the absence of my small family during Christmas. I am not proud of that. Looking back, I was focused on the hurt and I really couldn’t see that my presence would matter to others. They had each other, and I was focused on myself and my small family. I was just beginning to understand the power of shifting my awareness, of choosing to focus on the positive. My solution? Take my small family to the happiest place on Earth.
I don’t regret it. That trip was a significant push past my travel fears, a new experience to build upon. But I also learned that travel, like life, does not always go as planned. I allowed for just one day at Disney, and my anxiety got the best of me. Long lines, broken rides, spilled ice cream, and even a migraine that left me collapsed on the floor of a public restroom—it was a day full of challenges. Yet even in that chaos, I see now that the experience was part of the journey. Lessons learned. Foundations built. The importance of alignment planted a seed.
2. Fifteen Days in Florida: The Art of Letting Go
The next trip that stands out was our fifteen-day adventure through Florida in February 2016. This was everything I had hoped for in a close family vacation—fifteen days of living out of a truck and a motel room, planning each day as it came. No rigid itinerary, no overthinking—just going where the day led us. It was the first time I truly let go and trusted the journey. That trip taught me that structure has its place, but there is magic in surrendering to the moment and believing dreams come true, big and small.
3. 2019: A Cross-Country Road Trip, Perfect Timing
This trip was the most powerful and transformative one yet. I had been dreaming of a cross-country road trip for over a decade, but I always held back. The timing never felt right. The budget never seemed to stretch far enough. I feared taking too much from our family’s resources or disrupting future plans—not to mention trying to schedule the time away from work.
But in 2019, the tug was undeniable. It was now or never. My children were growing up. Would we ever be able to pull this off again? This year was not our best year. Loss and sickness had a great impact over our home and happiness. 2019 was full of challenges. Logic would tell me this definitely was not a year for a family vacation. But the pull was strong—that now or never feeling just wouldn’t go away. And my family needed healing. For me, there is no better answer to healing of all kinds than to seek time in nature. I didn’t know it at the time, but looking back, I can see the divine timing of it all.
That summer, I secured nearly three weeks off from work, and that wasn’t easy to do. Defiance at work was not my usual way, but this one required me to stand my ground and compromises were made. We packed up our pickup truck with camping supplies and bicycles. We spent 20 of 25 days living out of that truck, crossing vast landscapes, soaking in the openness and beauty of this country. The experience was overwhelming in the best way. The growth and healing that took place cannot quite be put into words. It was a treasure of a trip, and I can’t wait to get back out there and build upon it.
The Future: Remaining Open
I don’t know where our next big adventure will take us, but I do know this: travel, in any form, is an act of expansion. Whether it’s a local road trip or a cross-country journey, every experience has a way of reshaping who we are.
The lesson in all of this? Give yourself the time and space to daydream. Let those visions take root. Some will require consistent care, others will flourish naturally. Either way, the act of dreaming is an act of self-love—and one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself.
This year, I begin again, staying open to the possibilities.
Where will your next adventure take you?
