We have had crazy schedules the past two weeks. Since last Sunday, we have only spent three nights together. Combined, Rafa and I have taken five flights, been in four states and stayed in three hotels. We both love our jobs, but happily, we are done traveling for a little while.

The thing about working far apart from each other is that I just don’t feel like I’m at 100 percent. I’m not all me without Rafa to support me. And I don’t feel right when I’m not there to support him. I think my buddy Jack Johnson said it best:

MMM, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together 

I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no, no song I could sing
And there is no combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing,
We're better together

Whenever I go on a trip by myself, I try to visit the town’s cathedral. I like to see the work that people put into what they consider to be the house of God, and the artwork and architecture  in cathedrals is just amazing. When I am by myself in this trips, I love that I get to have more quiet time with God, mostly listening rather than doing the talking. In every trip I look forward to learn or hear one thing from God.

This week I spent a lot of time with my bible and had a long visit in at the Chicago cathedral, but I didn’t hear from God. Yesterday night I was feeling sad, I had the craving to hear from my Lord God, but nothing. My heart grew frustrated, I said to God “Lord I am here, why wont you talk to me, why have you talked to me in past trips and not now?” This is my last night before I get to go back to Minnesota. I headed out to get dinner to a restaurant a fellow art director recommended. The place was packed, I asked about the wait time and they said 45 minutes. I decided to wait planing to seat at a near bench. I wasn’t feeling like dinner hunting tonight, besides I miss my wife’s cooking, I like the taste of her food and above everything the love that she puts in every dish.

I accepted to wait, then the hostess said they had one seat at bar like table with view to the kitchen. I got really happy, I have great love for restaurant kitchens. I spent my first few years in the U.S. working in them. Probably 90% of the people thought that was a horrible seat, it was loud and hot but I thought it was the beast sit in the whole restaurant. It was almost like if I was in the kitchen working with the cooks.

I saw them cook my food, it was a delicious Seattle-Style Barbecued Salmon. What was even more amazing is that God talked to me as soon as I had the plate in front of me. I was reminded of the days when I used to be a cook, and how I decided to love the job instead of hating it. Back then deep inside I wanted to do more, I wanted to have a career in my area of study. Tonight, I was on the other side of the kitchen and its a bitter sweet feeling.

Seven year ago I was working at a restaurant called Cielo (it means heaven in Spanish), back in Denver, Colorado. One day I asked to take the afternoon off so I could attend my portfolio review and graduation ceremony. I only got to briefly attend to the ceremony and then it was back to work in the restaurant.Today I am taking next Friday off from work to attend my second graduation. I paused and thought how much has God giving me since that day, he has given me a job I love and enjoy, a wife, a great mom, a dog, 2 cats, fish a bird’s nest in my yard’s fence and so much more. If you asked me a few years back if I thought all of this would be possible, I would have said no, but I was going to try to achieve it anyways.

I remembered this verse from Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The Lord has given me things that I would believe to be impossible, like my job. I also started thinking on how I thought God wasn’t talking to me, little did I know the would talk to me in one of the loudest places I have been all week.

These thoughts and feelings happened in matter of seconds, I was overwhelmed with feelings I can’t explain them but I like to believe it was the presence of God. It was quite hard to keep composure  and not become too emotional. Now I feel I can go back home in peace, I did my job the best I could and listened to what God had to say to me. It was a long frustrating wait, but it was worth every second.