Hi all - this is my first of hopefully many posts.

I've been reading Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming and been practicing in and out for about a years time. I've had some very cool lucid dreaming experiences, but I seem to be stuck in a rut.

Once I awaken in my dream state, I cannot seem to stay with it very long. One of the reasons I think this is so, is that rather than actually doing something with that power, I actually just get really excited, and I am unable to control my dream - despite being awake in it.

Perhaps I need to have a particular goal before I go to sleep... one that is simple enough, and then go on to more complex ideas and environments. Just last night, I started dreaming lucidly, and got so excited to have the power - I was in a really grungy industrial stairwell with all sorts of pipes and wires, and didn't want to be there. So I tried to put myself somewhere else AND tried to bring a bunch of other details into the dream that the dream just kind of self destructed.

As I write, I don't really remember what the place or details were that I wanted... do any of you have experience getting specific things in lucid dreams? Ex: "Get me to a beautiful bright beach with bright blue water with a beautiful woman" instead of "get me out of this ugly place and away from these stinky guys."

Comments, suggestions?

Thanks!