It’s not often I get schooled on how to live the life of your dreams, but it happened this past Monday. Joan and I went on a kayaking trip we found offered as an AirBnB experience. As a tour guide, I am often skeptical about paying someone else to lead me on an adventure. The experience reminded me that not only can a local guide show you something you won’t find on your own, but it also reminded me of how amazing your life can be if you pursue your dreams without hesitation.

Andrés met us at the bus terminal just outside of town. We hopped into his new sporty red pick up truck loaded with three kayaks and headed towards the reservoir about 30 minutes away. When we arrived, he drove to the shoreline explaining how the water levels had changed over time. Like most reservoirs, it was only full just after it opened. Since then, there have been years of drought which is why our destination for the morning was no longer under water.

The photos that had seduced us to sign up for the tour were of people kayaking through the ruins of a church. I’d never seen anything like it. Nor would I today, as Andrés explained the water had not been high enough to paddle through the arched entrance of the church since February. He’d been honest about that when I contacted him in advance, but it seemed like such an unique experience that we decided to go anyway.

Even without an immersion baptism, we would be able to kayak on a perfectly calm 75 degree morning. As he unloaded our kayaks and lined them up on the shore, he pointed out that the lake was like glass, which would make for great pictures as we paddled across to the church. After one last lathering of sunblock, we stepped onto our kayaks and headed out. The ripples from our crafts went out like three arrowheads into the otherwise perfect reflection of the sky above. I would have to remember that as we got closer to the temple.

Since the distance wasn’t far, we took our time, but I picked up the pace as we neared the shore. I’d seen a fisherman casting a net from his boat as we approached, and I thought it would make a great picture with the church in the background. I also wanted to get ahead of our wake so that I could get a picture of the church perfectly mirrored in the lake. Of course, my wake projected out in front of me, and trying to get ahead of it felt like trying to get a glimpse of one of those things that float across your eyeball. The more you look towards it, the more it evades you.

After taking several pictures from the kayaks, we landed on the shore, just in front of the entrance to the church. We were so drawn in by the structure, that we hardly remembered stepping out of our boats when we landed. In minutes we were scrambling inside to snap pictures of all the views framed by the skeleton of this once grand basilica. Meanwhile, Andrés was trying to give us a history lesson of the church.

He called us back and began to flip through a picture book he’d made of the church, showing us pictures of the church just before they flooded the valley for the reservoir. He then showed us pictures of the new church, in the village up the hill. He pointed to places where pieces had been removed from the walls and to where they were in pictures of the new building. He talked of how vandals had broken some of the pieces from the old church, which in some cases, made for great photos of the sky which could be seen through the damaged rotunda.

Once he finished sharing the history, he posed us for several pictures. I thought it was smart of him to use our camera instead of his so we wouldn’t have to wait for him to send us any pictures. His experience, having done this trip so many times, meant he knew the best places to have us stand to frame us in the shots. We walked around the outside to get a few more pictures and watched as the fisherman came to shore to unload his catch.

Having snapped photos from every vantage we could imagine, we headed back to the kayaks and returned to his truck waiting on the other side. He loaded up the kayaks and instead of telling us it was time to go, he pulled out a wicker basket and handed us sandwiches he’d made at home that morning. We stood at the edge of the water talking as giant white pelicans flew overhead, and appreciated the time to be present in our surroundings, at least for a few minutes.

Andrés could no longer contain himself, and he let out a laugh. It was jolly for the lack of a better description, but I think it was because it was genuine. You could tell he was genuinely happy with his life, and he began to tell us how this was his life. He only had to work a couple hours a day and it was always outside, doing what he loved.

I asked him if he had another job to support himself, and he told me that he was an architect. He said he’d been working for the government for a few years, but once he started the adventure trips, he quit because the adventure tours paid better. 

We asked about how he got started, and he explained that he had always loved the outdoors. While working as an architect he’d bought an ATV and a kayak. Though running a business wasn’t yet his plan, he began building up the things he would later use in that business. 

He had shared pictures of his adventures on his social media, and his friends asked if they could join. At first he was happy bringing them along, but at some point he felt that they were just taking advantage of him so he started to charge to take people on adventures.

I’m sure it didn’t start with him providing lunches, sharing the history and composing a photo book of the church, but when he took us on our tour, he provided all of those things. It was a well polished experience that enriched our time in Guanajuato and reminded us of the value of pursuing your passion.

He pursued what he loved and thought he could make a business of it. He didn’t have any expectations so it started small. It grew organically and is still growing. He’s making more money. He’s got a house and a cabin, that he was proud share, he built. His wife doesn’t have to work. He can afford braces in his 30s, and he’s happy.

I love how he just evolved so naturally. Now he runs an Adventure company that offers horseback riding into the forest, ATVs into the desert, and balloon flights over the city. I was grateful for the reminder that I will be my happiest when I am pursuing my dreams and sharing them with others. Since that trip, Joan and I have been inspired to pursue ideas we’ve been neglecting for awhile. We’ve launched our new project 2 To Go Travel, and weŕe looking forward to pursuing our dreams.