Kashif's Journey Towards The Ideal Life

It wasn't that long ago, only a few months back. I sat in a cyber cafe in Rishikesh, giving myself permission to let go of the present moment. Allowing myself to wonder what life would be like when I returned back to the US, back home. As I chatted with my other half, half a world away, we went back and forth on how we should create our lives together. "I could get a job, return to Corporate America" I offered. "It might not be that bad, I've done it before." I tried to convince myself.

Even though we were seperated by thousands of miles and had only the emotionless scrolling of text through a chat window to connect us, I could sense the skepticism through the flickers of the computer monitor. We went back and forth a few times, East Coast or West Coast, jobs or travel, being responsible or chasing after our dreams, trying to make our parents and family happy or taking a chance on life. I left the cyber cafe to go back to the guest house I was staying at with my friends, to see what had evolved in their lives in the last hour.

The next few days, in my yoga practice, while I sat meditating, as I tried to shut myself out of the sights and smells and sounds of India the same thought kept running through my head, how I was going to put the pieces of my life back together when I was ready to leave this amazing land. But I knew that the answer would present itself when I let go of my need to have it. If I just allowed the Universe to tell me where I was supposed to go, it would put me there. And the next time I checked my e-mail, there it was.

My good friend MC Owens had a message waiting for me on Facebook. He had been there to give me a place to crash before I took off on my journey, wish me a fond farewell and safe travels, and now was asking if I would help him put together The Ideal Studio. I sent him a response with a few questions that I didn't really need answered, I already knew this is where I was supposed to go. I finished my yoga training, opened my eyes to what was happening, packed my bags and left towards home, towards San Diego, towards something that I cared about and supported whole-heartedly.

There was one stop before I began my new job, New Jersey. I had to see about a girl. It turned out nothing played out like we had imagined, things were great then they were terrible then they were great again, and through it all we never lost that connection. We both had our seat-belts buckled and were prepared to do the things that needed to be done in order for us to actualize this love we had.

When she dropped me at the airport, I didn't know when I would see her again, but I was heading to the Ideal Hotel to start my new gig as the Manager of the Ideal Studio. I came back able to recognize the place I left, amazed to see how it had evolved, embraced by the family I left behind. Early the next day, for the first time in almost a year I started work. The things to do seemed endless, schedule classes, promote events, prepare the studio. One item on the to-do list captured my attention more than most, "Find Tea Room Mananger." I threw out an idea, planted a seed.

The roots took hold almost immediately. I found it springing up in the most unexpected places. And then 3 weeks later it blossomed. I picked up Dipika from the airport, she joined me at our home in the Ideal Hotel as the Manager of the Ideal Tea Room, and we began our journey together as The Ideal Couple. Who knows where all of this will take us, but right at this moment, right at this place, everything is just as it should be.