Building Lucy Before She Exists

Stardate 04.27.2026

Some dreams fade before they ever have a chance to become real.
Some are delayed by circumstances outside the dreamer’s control.
And some dreams simply require time, patience, money, and perseverance.

I find myself in that last category.

Last night, I showed my family a vision board I created back in 2024 for a dream I called a “vacation home on wheels.” At the time, it felt ambitious—maybe even unrealistic for a man with limited construction skills. But I had a quiet belief that if I watched enough videos, practiced on smaller projects, and kept the dream alive long enough, eventually I would find myself ready.

Over the past two years, I’ve documented every step toward that dream. Every tool I purchased has a small label on it with the date and the price. Not because I needed the reminder, but because I wanted to see the progression. I wanted proof that slow and steady movement still counts.

Yesterday, something small but meaningful happened.

I used a rebate check from a basement shelf project to purchase the final two tools on that original list: a miter saw and a table saw. Both on sale. Both paid for with money that came from finishing something I started months ago.

That felt significant.

And now I’m doing something I’ve never seen another person do before.

I’m consulting with artificial intelligence as I plan this build.

With Alberta in the co-captain’s chair, helping me think through modules, measurements, and build order, I’m realizing something: Lucy—the van I haven’t even purchased yet—is already under construction.

Because instead of waiting for the perfect moment to buy the van, I’ve started building the pieces that will one day go inside it. Electrical systems. Framing plans. Cabinet modules. Parts of the “guts” that don’t require a driveway yet—only a workbench and a willingness to begin.

Like many things in my life, this dream has taken longer than I originally planned. Sticking to my Dave Ramsey principles, I’m paying cash for everything, including the van when the time comes. That choice has required patience. It has also required trust that slow progress is still progress.

So I made a decision.

I’m not waiting anymore.

I’m building Lucy before she exists.

When the day comes to purchase the van, I won’t be starting from scratch. I’ll be installing pieces of a dream that has already been carefully assembled, one part at a time.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” — Proverbs 21:5

If you’re a dreamer like me, this is a story you may want to follow. Not because of the tools or the van, but because of what happens when you refuse to let a dream sit quietly on a shelf.

You start building it with whatever you have, wherever you are.

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

Captain’s Addendum

Spock: “Captain, it appears you are constructing a vessel before acquiring the vessel.”
Bones: “I’ve seen stranger things, Spock. At least this one has a blueprint and a budget.”

Sometimes faith looks like buying the tools before you own the project. Sometimes perseverance looks like labeling each step so you can see how far you’ve come. And sometimes the dream begins long before the moment arrives.

Thank you for walking this journey with me.

May you live long and prosper.