As soon as the pilot said Welcome to Austin, I truly felt home. I am not really sure why, well maybe I do but more on that later. One thing that popped into my mind is my heart got here before I did. I was ready for whatever adventure waited me and I was smiling deep, deep down and was ready for the next few days.
As per usual, I got the perfect Uber driver Nick, who has wait for it!!!!!!……….. 16 brothers and sisters!!! There were 14 boys and 2 girls. He said no one wanted to date his sisters!!! I can not imagine why. Well of course there is more than just the big family, it is the quest of this family to get to the great U S of A!!!! He came as a refugee from Vietnam at 14, left his home not knowing if he would ever see his mom or dad again.
The thing that is so cool, I mean really cool about this fellow is I felt his happy energy as soon as I got in his uber clean Uber. ( ha I did not mean to do that, but oh well) He was so tickled to tell me how great Austin is and was so surprised that this was my first time to his beloved city. His city was beloved, his country was beloved, his uber customers are beloved…. this fellow is just full of it and I carried some of it with me.
My sweet husband used to befriend ever single Uber drive, taxi driver, shuttle driver, grocery bagger, waitress well just anyone that was a worker. He wanted to know where they were from, How is your family? How long have you been here? Do you have any kids? Do you like your job? I mean he really connected to them while I would usually sit quietly reading and not making eye contact because for pity sake I had been with people all week, I was ready to slip into the corner undetected.
So in the spirit of Hugh Smith I asked all those questions. I had so many great answers and what I loved about the whole adventure was his absolute love for his city and the desire that he wanted me to experience the fullness of it.
I came here to take a few days of reflection and dig deeper into the gratitude of this life as I near the almost year mark of Hugh’s departure. I will do as much working out as I can fit in, will climb as many trails as I can find and yes I will befriend my Uber drivers and may find some great adventure along to the way;.
ps. It is a health spa so there is no cake!!!!
pps. I think I can make it a few days without cake as long as there is coffee and half and half.