Times in Texas.

Tom and I have been in Austin for just about a month now, though it feels much longer. I guess that's probably a good sign, as I feel quite comfortable here. Austin is a nice town, not as big of a "city" as I thought it'd be. But, there's a lot going on here!!

Downtown seems to be a hoppin' place, though Tom and I have really only gone out, down and around 6th street, a couple of times. Most recently, we went to the Beauty Bar here in Austin, to see a band play. It wasn't really my scene, but still we enjoyed ourselves, listening to the music as I slowly drank my Sea Breeze cocktail. Ha!

We've mostly stayed over on the South side of town, enjoying the vegetarian dining options available to us! Austin is great for vegan food!! Our favorites so far are Kerbey Lane Cafe (awesome breakfast options!!!) and Mr. Natural (we enjoyed the most amazing, mint cream filled chocolate cucakes there...YUM!). Both of these places are pretty casual lunch type eateries, and both reasonably priced. Most of our dinners out have centered around Mexican food, as it is extremely abundant here, especially along South Lamar, where we live. One of my best friends works at a place called El Chile, so we've been there more than once. :) I've been loving the enchiladas with verde sauce. Mmmmm...

Austin is also blessed with many green spaces, some really closeby. We've most frequently visited the Barton Springs area, located in Zilker Park, right down the street from us. This is a natural pool fed from springs underground. It's really quite beautiful, and big! Apparently, it's the largest natural swimming pool in the United States. We've also enjoyed some of the wide open spaces in the park, just relaxing, enjoying the sunshine and the company of butterflies! There's also a large section near the park called the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Tom and I have only begun to explore this area. And it seems that there are many more greenbelts to seek out as well! Tom thinks he's going to start rock-climbing. I just want to get a bike!! :)

Outside of our love for good vegetarian food and nature, it's worthy to mention that there's a lot of good shopping around town, if you've got the time and money to spend! Fair trade options, consignment shops, thrift stores, half-priced books, antiques, record stores, etc. I love it, and can't wait to be settled in a job and monetarily stable, so as to be able to enjoy what's available. I'm not a HUGE shopper, but I do enjoy the occasional "fun" purchase once in awhile.

In between our mini-Austin explorations, Tom and I have just been relaxing at home, cooking more often, enjoying each other's company in the peace of our new place. We've also been trudging along, getting our lives in order, looking for profitable work, while at the same time trying to follow our dreams. It's hard for me to believe we've only been here for a month. WOW! I'm thankful to be here, in this NOW, with Tom. We have so much to look forward to, as we embark on this adventure together. Though I miss my friends and family terribly, I know that opportunities exist for me here, that I need to take the time to explore. I hope to enjoy all that Austin has to offer! Here's to living for today, and taking it all in, one Texan experience at a time!!

sharing from Austin, TX

so...the time has come for me to start sharing more of my life with the world. i plan on doing this in little snippets, sharing whatever bits of insightful wisdom i can think of with the rest of you each and every day. (i'll do my best!) i am honoring that little voice inside my head that tells me that what i have to give, through this blog, is important. so here i go...

first of all...let's play catch up! i just moved to Austin, TX. yes...THIS girl from upstate NY is now living in the transient, musical, nature loving city of "weird". it's a change, to say the least. my boyfriend, Tom, and i arrived here at the beginning of october. now, i expected it to be warmer here than in New York, but it is now nearing the END of october, and it's still HOT!! i mean, it feels like the middle of july. yesterday, Tom and i sat in the park under the shade of a tree, sun blazing through the branches, blue skies above, green grass underfoot. it AMAZES me! it really does. i almost feel like i'm in a time warp. my head can't seem to wrap itself around the reality of my physical situation. and that, in and of itself, is probably the weirdest concept for me to grasp, so far, being a northeastern, upstate girl now living in Texas!!

squinting in the hot afternoon sun, on a walking bridge near downtown Austin!!

needless to say, Tom and i are still getting settled. there's still unpacking to do, organizing, painting, more unpacking! every day we get a little closer to "normalcy". we're also still figuring out how to create income for ourselves. Tom's been working hard looking for jobs, and has a few leads. he's even got a Director of Photography position in the works for a local company!! i'm proud of him. i've been working on getting my Soul Coaching practice started. YIPPIE!!! i can't wait to get "my business" off the ground! it fills me with so much joy to be able to focus on something i love every day. i know i am blessed!! still, until i start rolling in the dough via "my business", i need to get some money generating, so i've started looking for some server positions around town. i remind myself that my life is full of abundance...so i know something "just right" will come along. :)

whatever happens, i know that both Tom and i will be where we are supposed to be, in alignment with our highest good, while we live here in Austin. i'm trusting the universe to lead me (and he) on my (on our) best path(s). today i felt inspired to write, so that's what i did. listening to my heart and paying attention to the signals sent my way through synchronicities. that's the best way to live! life is so beautiful, and i'm happy to be able to share it with you!!