Feeding the soul.

We've been hosting a lot of dinners lately.  Seems like almost every other night we are have dinner plan.  We are really enjoying the catch up with old friends as well as meeting new ones.  Since the Times article we've had even more people willing to stop and ask about the ADU or even to come inside.  We enjoy the conversation each time.  We've spent a few evenings with these new friends, answering questions about our own process and helping them to figure out the feasibility of their own.  We share dinner and wine, enjoy the conversations and the chance to meet our neighbors; but are also realizing we should eventually find a way to get paid for our time.  Still trying to figure out exactly how to translate one into another...

We've also had a few dinners with old friends who we never seem to be able to get enough of. Nightlong conversations about life and dreams.  And everyone we're having dinner with seems to be either dreaming/planning major changes in their life, or are smack dab in the middle of them already.

Hardly a conversation we can imagine enjoying more than brainstorming life change and looking at possibilities for enhanced happiness.  Good for everyone involved and a clear win/win as we all walk away from the evening with renewed excitement and vigor for what's to come.  As far as we're concerned, the best way to stay focused on happiness (and continuing to chase it down) is to spend time with others who are focused on doing the same.

Sadly, not all those people are close enough to plan a quick dinner with.  Some of them we must settle for the occasional skype, call, chat or email... for now.  But we will also reunite with them in person soon enough, and we know that our kindred passions will rekindle as soon as we see them again.

We are so proud of our friends for the steps they've taken to change and begin taking control of their lives, and towards goals of living and traveling as they desire.  It's not a perfect path for any of us and it's far from an overnight change.  But in a time where so many people are content to simply stick with safe/normal day to day lives, it is truly inspirational to watch others take a leap.  To start making changes for the positive and working hard to ensure that their future will be spent doing what they love, and not spent behind a desk and under fluorescent lights.

They inspire us to keep our focus, to keep battling against our own bad habits and working toward our ultimate goals.  To keep working towards a minimal and affordable lifestyle and to find a way to support ourselves in a way that lights us up.  To keep finding ways to exist within society without falling prey to its pressures.  These dinner conversations feed us.  Not only in food but also in stamina.  They fulfill our hearts and they feed our souls.  They remind us that while we may be crazy, we aren't alone.

The shared energy also seems to have finally gotten me out of my motivation slump and back into the shop.  We have another AirBnB guest coming at the end of the week, so it couldn't be better timed.  I've been welding up a storm and just got the framework for our closet/sliding staircase done on the last day before their arrival.  It still has some finishing touches left undone, but it's nice to be making headway on one of (hopefully) the last remaining large projects in our tiny home.

Thanks to a generous friend with a truck we got the whole thing home in one trip (without having to balance it on the mini).  The place looked almost complete and we snapped the last few photos just before leaving for a night and then heading out for a weekend at the beach.  This part of the plan almost seems to be working... an AirBnB guest each month means a bit of extra money in the pocket, and a clear nudge to get out of the city for a bit of adventure while our place is booked.  Perfect.