Casa De Luz is an all organic vegetarian restaurant in Austin off of Toomey street. Yesterday I volunteered two hours out of my day to prep in the kitchen for last night’s Veggie tacos and cauliflower soup.

I need my kitchen time and I unfortunately haven’t been able to cook in my own (hazard of being “hobless”–homeless and jobless) so it is up to others to invite me in and let some much-needed cooking therapy seep into my bones.

Times are tough now, it is no joke. Mark and I have officially been living out of other people’s houses and our own car for nearly three months. Three months ago we were fully prepared to be living and teaching in Korea (at this very moment) and as the universe would have it, we are hobless in Austin, Tx.

Ok, so most would think that the situation we are currently undergoing would bring you about as down as down can get–Well it turns out that Mark and I are feeling stronger and more optimistic than ever! We realize that we are in what should be a terrifying place, one we would have never, ever expected to be in just a few short moths ago; but we see this transitional time in our lives as a teaching mechanism. What are we going to do right now in our completely free and open world? Why did things turn out this way and what are we supposed to be gaining from it?

It is quite an incredible place to be in as long as we have open communication and we keep following our passions. Something good is going to come. Something so good is going to come that we will look back upon our journey as say–aren’t we glad we didn’t spend those months freaking out and instead listened to our hearts, got some quality time in with the fam, practiced patience and gratitude, searched for our dreams, worked our butts off, and got to the next phase of our lives with smiles on our faces? That sounds way better than being scared and lamenting in regrets, but maybe that’s just us.

Tangent! Back to Casa De Luz. Although I am not really in a place to be volunteering, I need some me time and I find it in a kitchen. Walking down the path to the restaurant–listing to the birds and wind chimes, smelling the fragrant Mountain Laurel–I felt such peace. I was able to put everything in my life aside and take each moment in for that two hours. As is listened to the soft, relaxing music and sliced through the most beautiful vegetables, I thought to myself; it’s the simple pleasure in life that we live for isn’t it?