Have you ever followed your dream? No, I mean really threw all caution to the wind and did what you had always dreamed. Have you ever had the audacity to make concrete what was once just a pie-in-the-sky thought? What would it take for you fulfill the vision and live the dream? Two friends of mine have done it. They have embarked on what they’re calling The Bro’d Trip: 2 Brothers, 4 Wheels, 50 States, 1 Year.

Adam and Justine Fricke are two brothers from central Florida who have quit their jobs, bought a van, and have set off to visit all 50 states. They are adventurers who love surfing, hiking, and rock climbing. Their plan is to do those things whenever and wherever they have the opportunity, and to document the trip all along the way with their skillful photography and videography. Needless to say, the number of people who are envious of their new life has been skyrocketing as they get the word out. You may be envious, too. Who wouldn’t want to quit their job? Who wouldn’t want to see the country? Who wouldn’t want to embark on an adventure that was once just a thought in your mind?

But before you start packing your bags, buying a van, and heading out to pursue your dream, you might want to talk to Adam and Justin. Dreams lived out are always based in reality. Here are some of the realities Adam and Justin have had to face:

• They had to save money for two years to buy the van and have enough in reserve to support them out on the road.
• They had to work hard to secure sponsors to supplement their savings.
• They had to completely renovate the inside of their van to meet their specific needs, learning how to do it step by step through online tutorials and YouTube videos.
• They had to say goodbye to their parents, their home, their jobs, their co-workers, their cars, and their dog.
• They have to sleep in Wal-Mart parking lots and sometimes forego showers for a few days.
• They have to watch their budget and eat inexpensive meals just like they were back in college.

You get the idea. A dream sounds glamorous until it you get down to ground level and take stock of what it all costs. But to Adam and Justin it has all been worth it. They recently called me from the road and explained to me the difficulty the first week. Each of them was pretty homesick and began to take it out on their brother. They wondered whether they’d made a mistake. They were missing some of the “routine” of home.

But the second week rolled around and they began to hit their stride. They started learning the stories of the people they encountered. They leaned into the adventure of surfing in the Carolinas. They appreciated the spectacular sunrises outside the back door of their van. A routine began to form. Their next stop is to meet up with their parents for a few days in western North Carolina. Before you know it, they’ll be posting photos, videos, and blogs of adventures most of us could only dream of experiencing.

The lesson here, when pursuing your dream, is to leap out in faith knowing that everything may not be what you expected it to be. But that’s all part of the journey. It’s part of the growth. It’s part of learning who you are and what you’re made of. It’s living a story that will help others, teach others, and give others the opportunity to think through the possibility of pursuing their own dreams. It’s taking a risk so that you can give value to others through what you yourself learn.

I encourage you to follow The Bro’d Trip on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (links are at the web site). Follow the adventure. Dream a little bit. Travel along. Perhaps it will inspire you to pursue your own dream so that you can give others value, teach them through your experiences, and add a little life to your living.

My next post will outline all the things The Bro’d Trip brothers did right as they prepared and embarked on their dream.

What dream have you always wanted to pursue?