Picking up, starting over and chasing your dreams

Brooke and Julie at the Casa Buenas Vibras construction site

Why, after a certain age, do we give up on our dreams?

It’s not like we ever truly stop dreaming. I bet each of us, no matter who we are or how old we are, have some dream or another, many of which we keep locked in our minds, simply because we believe they are unattainable.

I met Brooke and her mom Julie in Washington, D.C. I was in college at the time and we all lived in the same neighborhood. The warmth with which they welcomed me into their life quickly kindled a lifelong friendship. Infact, at this point, they feel like family.

Through the years, this dynamic mother-daughter duo has consistently inspired me. Whether it was Julie beating cancer and Brooke walking right next to her through the journey, or the way they’ve seen and continue to explore the world, the Lockes are incredible. 

This is the story of some of their (recent) fierce, bold and inspiring decisions.

I wanted to showcase the power they hold simply because they never stopped believing in each other, their dreams and themselves.

“After my brother died and Brooke had been in D.C. since she was 18, I realised I wasn’t happy in my marriage,” Julie May Locke, a 67 year old retired teacher, began telling me.

“She found herself living a life that she did not recognize.  At some point during the funeral, she decided to get divorced and move down to D.C., to be near me.  This would be her first time ever living alone,” Brooke, Julie’s daughter, added.

Brooke Lynn Locke, who is now a 38 year old community builder, hospitality expert and global traveler, developed a special bond with her mother once they were living in the same city.

Brooke played a significant role in helping her mother find her life again, “Brooke helped me to navigate single life in D.C. and life was fantastic! “ said Julie.

A new path began for Julie.

“Over time, she learned to be strong and independent again; stronger than she ever was before. I was able to be a role model for her, giving her guidance on navigating her new single life, living in a city, and juggling her dating life and her career!  My mother blossomed and thrived in her new and exciting life, despite a very serious bout with cancer!” Brooke said proudly.

But the story doesn’t just end there.

Things could have taken a turn for the pair when Brooke faced her own hardships, “I lost my job and was on unemployment,” she shared. “The compensation wasn’t enough to even pay my rent so I decided to just pick up, start travelling and collect the cheques on the go, instead of sitting and being miserable just looking for jobs.”

This launched a half year travel adventure that included her mother for quite a bit of it. “My mom decided to travel with me for the first and last 3 weeks of a 6 month journey.  My journey to either find myself, or find a job!”

The duo has explored many countries so far, “Brooke and I travel well together and hit Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Thailand, Lao, India, the Maldives, and Mexico,” says Julie. But when Julie returned home, she realised she was thinking about her retirement.

She decided to confide in her daughter. “I voiced my concerns with retirement to Brooke and she said, ‘Don’t worry, Mommy. I got you.’  Next thing I knew, she took off for South America and began her research,” she said, proudly.

“She was very worried about her quality of life and what she would be able to do and afford for retirement,” Brooke commented .

A seed had already been planted. For Brooke, the solution was clear, “Somewhere between border hopping Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, dodging tropical storms and deadly protests, we had already realized that living outside of the USA was a better lifestyle for us.”

And so began the next expedition; “The Universe kept throwing signals my way. All the questions I was pondering as I contemplated leaving my own country were slowly answered during my travels,” says Brooke. After considering many countries by herself, Brooke met her mother in Mexico, where they visited a friend.

“Several years prior, in my previous travels, I had met a retired American hippy who was wandering around Mexico, but was presently settled in a small town in Oaxaca, Mexico – Mitla,” Brooke exclaimed which turned out to be the perfect place. Julie loved it—“I found Mitla, Oaxaca to be welcoming, safe, and EXTREMELY affordable!”

Shortly after, the Lockes’ new chapter began to write itself. “Within 6 months of visiting Mitla, my mom had retired, I decided to not go back to work, and we were residing in Mitla!” Brooke said.

Both mother and daughter put all their efforts towards their new journey. “I moved down in August 2019 and found a house to rent and started setting it up. Mom came in September and by October, we were running a 4-room airbnb at nearly 100% capacity,” Brooke said. “But our booming new business was 100% dead when the pandemic hit,” she added.

Somehow though, even through another hardship, the time off only inspired more of their dreams. “After lots of soul-searching during the quiet time that the pandemic provided, mom and I decided to purchase land and grow roots in Mitla!” Brooke beamed.

“In October, 2020, we had successfully secured land and worked on jumping through all of the various hoops necessary for a foreign, single woman to purchase land in Mexico. I interviewed and hired a team of female architects, in alignment with my personal mission to uplift and empower women, wherever and whenever possible,” she said, enthusiastically.

And construction for their brand new hotel has now begun.

“We broke ground on Phase 1 of the new Casa Buenas Vibras in June 2021!  My dream is becoming my reality,” says Brooke. The hotel will include multiple private rooms, a swim up bar and knowing Brooke, plenty of vibrant additions.

So what was Brooke’s biggest inspiration?

Her mother Julie.

“She was a feminist and raised me to be strong and independent. I am the woman that I am, because of her,” she said, affectionately.

Inspired yet?

I also asked Brooke how all of this is possible, especially because they’ve made starting over and fulfilling their dreams look so easy.

“People hesitate because the structure and routine of their regular life provides a safety net.  Regular income, health insurance, sickness – stability; there are very good reasons why people don’t chase their dreams.  The system doesn’t encourage it,” she shared. “But if you find the right place, the right niche, you can dream big, and start small.  Everything big starts with something small,” she added, wisely.

And in response to how she feels about being her daughter’s partner in crime, Julie said, “I am very blessed; my daughter is smart and fun. I think my genius is finally acknowledging it and following her lead. Living ANYWHERE with Brooke is more fun.”

Pictured is Julie and Brooke in Oaxaca, Mexico

Honestly, doing ANYTHING with Brooke and Julie is more fun. I can attest to that.

So what is their advice for all of us? A big tip if you will, about picking up, starting over and chasing every dream?

“Surround yourself with good people who uplift you, and make sure to uplift others whenever possible.  Hire those that are unlikely to be hired or might be overlooked by others, or the worker that needs it the most but isn’t necessarily the best- yet.  You always need a team; treat them well and with respect. You will receive the energy you put out,” the Lockes concluded.

We don’t in fact need to keep our dreams locked up as just dreams… No matter how old we are, where we come from or what we’re currently doing, our dreams can always come true.