At first, when anyone asks why I decided to move to Texas, my thoughts would rush through my head trying to sound convincing to my audience, and in a convoluted manner my voice would crack to disguise the shakiness. You have to remember I am not just a California girl, I grew in Berkeley with Francophile parents. Being worldy was not only a virtue but a stamp of great achievement and pride. After four years in Los Angeles, I did what any preppy Bohemian Peter Pan loving person would do at 33- got a masters from USC, learned how to meditate (thanks to the Vedic meditation community) and danced up to 30 hours a week where I found my sweat, my tears, and my breath.
Today, I am still shaky but not of uncertainty but vulnerability to tell you why I am moving. I first made my decision to live a better quality of life and to listen to my body to slow down. Austin was my choice, and even though I had never been there, it called to me in the advertising of friends and strangers as if it were a mecca for the lost souls of Los Angeles. I knew then I was following other people's dreams and not mine.
My decision is not perfect and I don't have a perfect answer. I just know when I finally made up my mind, I never felt better. I remember telling people after getting mono in 2008, I said I am not sure when I will get better. It wasn't until I decided to move, until I felt whole again. Today I overcome each day of fear and uncertainty with giddiness. I am moving to spread love, and yes a little Lau Lau or lala into a state most Californians despise...
Get ready to read more about my journey around food, friendship, reaching out into a new community with light and love.
