Small Beginnings, Lasting Adventures
This past week, I went to my bank in Northbrook to deposit a tax return refund from my real estate business—the culmination of a 12-year career, millions in sales, and a fun entrepreneurial venture. My LLC was now closed and obsolete.
As I was leaving, contemplating my real estate career, my eye traveled to the kiddie corner on the northwest side of Shermer and Waukegan. Though no longer standing, the Northbrook Bank was my beacon for dreams between the ages of ten and eighteen. My grandmother passed away when I was ten years old, and my mother received a small inheritance. She deposited $500 in that bank for my brother and me, about $5000 in today's purchasing power.
For eight years, I dreamed about how I could spend that money. As luck and dreams would have it, a co-worker at a German-owned bakery I worked at suggested I accompany her daughters to Austria for the summer to stay in the little village of Klagenfurt, Austria, where her mother lived. She spoke to my parents, who agreed it would be a wonderful experience. With college coming up in September, we decided I would use the $500 for airfare. My funds were depleted, yet my life was beginning.
When I landed in Frankfurt, as pre-arranged, I met another co-worker's mother. I spent the night at her house, and she took me to the train the following day. A few hours later, on the way to Klagenfurt, I looked out the window at the sunlight bouncing off the majestic Alps. I stored the image and the joy I felt at the moment in my forever memory.
I was looking forward to my adventure, which became the touchstone of my life. When the summer ended, I knew travel was in my future. Little did I know that this small adventure, funded by my grandmother's gift, would lead to a life-changing chapter.
At twenty, I went back to the same region to study, and during that time, I met my husband. Together, we've built a family, raised two children, and now have the joy of three grandchildren.
Standing at the familiar corner, I thought about the journey the deposit sparked and how a small action shaped so much of my life. Our lives are often shaped by small, seemingly inconsequential steps—moments, decisions, or reactions that feel like little more than a pebble tossed into a pond yet ripple outward in powerful and unexpected ways.
What small moment or decision set your life on a unique path? It could be an unexpected job offer, a spontaneous trip, or even a conversation that changed how you saw the world. These moments matter—they are the seeds of our narratives, the sparks that can ignite lasting adventures.
For me, closing the LLC represents the end of one journey, but it also symbolizes the freedom to embark on a new path as a ghostwriter and help you write your stories. What is your story? I hope with all my heart that you take the time to write it.