Blogging has become my single biggest fulfillment of the past few years. I might never have started, though, had it not been for my girlfriend Brooke. More than 15 years ago we both began work, on the same day, at a textbook publisher in Austin. (Yes, y’all, the Texas one.) She and I had both been hired as copyeditors. She was in the science department; I was in the English one. Thank goodness for employee orientation, where we became friends within an hour.

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Before long, we claimed our favorite activity: hanging in the bookstore coffee shop. We’d luxuriate there, never in a rush. To be surrounded by books is to be wrapped in possibility, and we both loved the feeling. We talked about what we were reading and envisioned future stories to write. During these chats, I tended toward practicality. God bless her, Brooke coaxed me to stop worrying about the barriers. Repeatedly she encouraged me to let myself dream, just for the reverie of it.

This quote totally reminds me of Brooke! I took this photo when she and I visted the mosaic mural Rhapsody on a 2014 trip. It celebrates East Austin’s African American heritage and the area’s jazz roots.

Our coffee chats stopped in 2001, when I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fast forward to December 31, 2013. Brooke and I were on a phone call, which had become more rare as the years slipped by. She’d registered for an online blogging course and suggested I join her. “It starts tomorrow,” she said, “but it’s not too late!” I had to admit it sounded like a fitting way to start the new year.

My first attempt at blogging had fizzled out, two years earlier. It’d been enjoyable, but the effort failed about 6 months in, when summer in Minnesota arrived. The lure of outdoor trails had proven too strong. Now, Brooke’s invite to join Blogging 101 required zero coaxing. This time I was ready. I signed up immediately after hanging up the phone.

Here’s Brooke at one of our favorite Austin coffee shops. On this day we both worked on freelance writing gigs. Her placement by the speech bubble is purely conicidental, but it cracks me up.

Did I mention Brooke also happens to be a model? Sometimes, a girl’s got to pose!

Thanks, Brooke, for providing the spark I needed! So, who else has a similar story? If you’ve found a something you love, but it required a nudge–or a second chance–to maintain momentum, share your story the comments. Also: Are you the dreamer in your group, or the practical one?