Our First of the Year Tradition // Alys Beach

New Year traditions bring to mind champagne, sparkling clothes, festive hats, and midnight. We do all that on New Year's Eve, but our favorite New Year tradition involves afternoon coffee, Florida, and a legal pad. Last year, we started a tradition of going to Alys Beach and devoting a day to dreaming/setting goals for our upcoming year. We go to Fonville Press (Alys's coffee shop) and brainstorm about our hopes, dreams, practical life steps, and more. It's amazing to look back and see how the impossible and the practical things we talk about happen throughout the year. Of course some of them work out differently than we plan, but it's usually in a way that's so much better than we could ask or imagine (even if it's harder at times, those hard seasons still have a beauty and an intimacy that doesn't happen during the "lighter seasons" of life). 

Yes, most of us have resolutions this time of year. But, making a dream list and a practical life list is so different. It orients your priorities for the rest of the year and keeps you mindful about what's in your heart - instead of just getting lost in the mundane. If you have never started a year off with a Vision Plan for the New Year, we'd highly encourage you do to it. It's not to late... you'll be glad you did! It's amazing what's possible in 365 days. 

(And, if you've never been to Alys Beach - put it on your list. It's on the Florida Panhandle, near Seaside, Florida. And, it is one of my favorite spots. You've feel as if you were transported to another world. We love starting our year off there because it's the perfect place for a little infusion of dreaming since it feels like such an escape from reality.)

-mr.&mrs.h

travel truth thursday

dreaming BIG is a good idea

-mr.&mrs.h

thursday's travel truth

It's important to DREAM BIG. A little inspiration from a great dreamer, Bob Dylan... think about it: who are you made to be? Once you figure that out start pursuing it, even if it's one small step at a time. 

-mr.&mrs.h

tuesday thoughts on dreaming

We talk a lot about dreaming on the mr.&mrs.h guide. Some of you may read our thoughts on dreams and think Mr. H and are those rare, fearless individuals who aren't afraid to dream. Well, I hate to disapoint you, but we're not that. We are dreamers, but we are also the first to admit dreaming is scary. 

Believing something impossible is scary. Stepping out in hope for something that's deep within your heart is scary. What if it doesn't happen? What if I fail? What if it doesn't work? What if...? The "what if's" used to stop me from dreaming. At one point in my life my motto was to live life with no expectations. Expectations were too painful if they didn't happen. I always focused on the what if this doesn't happen. Ater a few years of living life that way, and hating the result, I found there's another what if. It's the what if this does happen and it's super powerful. 

It's powerful enough to take me, someone who was totally afraid of dreaming, and turn me into someone who now lives a life guided by dreams. Focusing on what if this does happen is a major key in dreaming. So, what are the dreams lying dormant within your heart? What if they happened? I've seen so many dreams come true in the past three years since I married a dreamer and began my own journey of dreaming. It's been scary at times but when a dream comes true it quiets the voice of what if this doesn't happen and the voice of what if this does happen grows stronger. Let your dreams become bigger than the fear. If it doesn't happen you'll keep living life as you are right now, but if it does happen you'll be living in your dreams. I think that's a risk worth taking. 

-mrs.h

Adventurer Profile: Phillip Attmore

Our adventurer profiles started as a way to inspire us to truly live life -- not just exist through it. So, we wanted to find people who were doing just that. When we sat down to think of people we know who live life that way, we both thought of Phillip Attmore. Talk about an "adventurer" -- everything about the way Phillip lives life is full of passion and adventure. He has followed his dreams and they've taken him all around the world in the process (including So You Think You Can Dance and Broadway!!). We had the great pleasure of getting to know Phillip when we lived in CA. He inspired us through his creativity and his huge heart. If you need that daily dose of inspiration to begin pursuing your dreams or to continue pursuing them, read on... this adventurer profile will do just that. (Plus, we love Phillip's travel tips -- they are, not surprisingly, full of adventure!!)

Phillip in his own words... (from childhood to Broadway)
My mother is originally from Germany. My dad, a soldier from North Carolina, happened to be stationed in my mom's hometown (Kassel, Germany) and he was also the first black man she'd ever met. They fell in love, and got married in 1959, before it was legal for interracial couples to wed in some American states. I was born twenty-five years into my parents' marriage. (So needless to say I was a pleasant surprise!)  I grew up in a family of artists. My brother was a child actor who was in the Mickey Mouse Club in the 70's, and my sister is a self-taught musician. Although I was born two decades after them, my parents suspected that I too was "bitten by the bug" from birth, so they put me in dance classes when I was three years old to see how I would respond. Not only did I love dancing, but I soon took on acting and singing. After graduating from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (with a few childhood film/tv credits under my belt), I knew that working in the entertainment industry would be a lifelong pursuit.  And I have been blessed to have had a rather colorful career so far:  from dancing and singing on Broadway, to acting in film/tv, and even competing on the reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance.  

In September of this year, I'll be moving back to New York City to work in my third Broadway show!  It's called After Midnight. It will star Dule Hill (of Psych and The West Wing) and Fantasia (of American Idol). It is a Broadway Musical that will feature classic jazz standards that capture the essence of Harlem's "Cotton Club" era. Wynton Marsalis will be the artistic director, and the cast will consist of twenty-five vocalists/dancers and seventeen hand-picked musicians by Jazz at Lincoln Center. I will be featured as a song and dance man. Needless to say, I am excited! 

When I consider my family background (i.e. having a German-born mother, a soon-to-be wife who is from England) and when I consider creativity and the arts and entertainment industry (my passion and "bread and butter"), I would say, literally, that "adventure" has been written in my DNA.  Most of my reasons for travel have been tied to work and/or family, and these two aspects of my life have taken me all around the world (to five of the seven continents).  My "top five" favorite cities that I have either visited or lived in (other than my two homes Los Angeles and New York City) are:  Cape Town, South Africa; Moscow, Russia; Paris, France; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Sydney, Australia. 

M&MH: Where do you currently live and what are your "local tips" for L.A. (your "you can't miss it" list - where to eat, shop, visit, do, etc.)?
PA: I currently live in my hometown Pasadena, CA (a city within Los Angeles County). I am totally biased, but I would say that Pasadena is the best city in Los Angeles County! It is clean, safe, rich in arts and culture, and it is commonly discovered as a "hidden treasure" by many who visit Los Angeles for the first time. Los Angeles is huge, but if I could narrow it down to three options of places to eat, shop, and visit, I would recommend Manhattan Beach, Old Town Pasadena, and Disneyland! (For those of you who rolled your eyes at the last option, "Don't hate on Mickey!")

M&MH: If you can narrow it down to one, what is your favorite city/town you've visited during your travels?
PA: My favorite city that I have visited, and also lived in, is Edinburgh, Scotland. This place is absolutely magical if you like castles, hillwalking and hiking, nightlife, and arts appreciation and preservation. It has it all! I would recommend going during August while the world famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival is on. It is the largest theater arts festival in the world with over 3,000 shows and exhibitions to choose from. Projects like "Flight of the Concords" started at this festival. Not to mention, the city is beautiful! I call this place a home when I am in the UK!

M&MH: Favorite hotel? Why?
PA: At the risk of sounding strange, I don't believe in hotels! I have found that the best way to learn the essence of a city is through the eyes of a local. I have become very good at making friends in foreign places with wonderful people, and if I trust them, or if we have had the privilege of building a friendship history, I would much rather stay with them. I do like a fancy hotel every once in a while, but if you like adventure, shacking up with the locals is where it's at!

M&MH: Top three restaurants?
PA: My top three restaurants are:  Uncle Bill's Pancake House (Manhattan Beach, CA); Moyo (Johannesburg, SA); The Delta Grill (a New Orleans style restaurant in New York City).

M&MH: Most memorable travel experience?
PA: I took a trip to Krugar National Park in South Africa once. Between jeep safari's, wild animals raiding our campsite, and fireside stories of survivors of animal attacks, it was an exciting time. We went on a night safari on the eve of returning to Johannesburg. We stopped the jeep in the middle of the wild South African bush, turned the engine and lights off, and sat in the pitch black of night listening to the sound of animals calling. Then we threw our heads back in silence for about ten minutes, and gazed at the stars, an entirely different set of bright and shining constellations. This is my most memorable travel experience, and probably one of the most magical moments of my life.

M&MH: Thanks Phillip! We love the way you drink in every drop of life -- it's so refreshing and inspiring. And, we agree with you, "adventure" is written in your DNA. Now we just need to plan our own adventure to NYC so we can see you on Broadway!!
-mr.&mrs.h

Are you living your dream?

{via}

I have a strong suspicion that it's a great day for your dreams to come true. I've noticed an increase in dreams fulfilled of late--from my parents, to us personally, to friends. Sometimes I think it's just a good day for a dream to come true.

How do you know if you are living your dream if you don't know what you dream is? You don't. So first, you have to get quiet and listen. Who are you made to be? What are you here for?

Then, GO FOR IT!

Mrs. H and I have a lot of dreams: big dreams, small dreams, odd dreams, serious dreams, short-term dreams, long-term dreams...

They all matter though. If you're anything like me, the presence of dreams means I am doing something right. When my internal dreamer is turned off, then I know something is wrong. So manage your dreamer well. Make a list, and watch your dreams come true.

Off to conquer a dream or two.

-Mr. H

cuba: a dream come true

We talk a lot about the importance of dreaming because we believe dreams pull you outside of the comfortable and the possible into a life of adventure and seeing the impossible become a reality. I think the following quote is so true, "Dreams pull us toward a new version of ourselves. If our aim is to become fully who we are, then our dreams are like a moon pulling the tides. Even before we achieve a dream, we are becoming the kind of person who makes those kinds of dreams come true." - Andrea Scher

Most of the dreams we talk about on the mr.&mrs.h guide are our dreams that still haven't become realities. But, the great thing about dreaming is that as you walk down the road of life you get to see dreams come true. One dream I'd had for years was to go to Cuba, but I knew it was an impossible hope because of the difficulty of getting in and out of Cuba. However, through a crazy set of circumstances Mr. H and I were able to go to Cuba in 2011. It was one of the most incredible trips of my life... it taught me the power of dreams and I fell in love with a people and a country. 

The Cuban people are such a beautiful, accepting people. The country is gorgeous and echoes an incredible history. I can't fully describe the trip in words because it was so close to my heart, but as they say "pictures speak louder than words"... 
-mrs.h