adios austin

Hey folks,

I know it’s been a while since my last posting (sorry for that), but there is a good reason. I’ll get to that in a minute.

First, I need to acknowledge that the summer is over, and with it, my plan to experience a summer full of culinary adventures around my favorite city. Or at least, that was my plan in the beginning. Oh the beginning… the time I was nervous to take pictures of food and had no clue what sort of trailer culture there would be. But this is now. And now, I have fallen in love with trailer park eateries and the wonderful people that make their living sweating it out in those tiny hot boxes just so that we may taste the fruits of their labor. There is no way I’m stopping now. This blog just got a deadline extinction to infinity. I have barely scratched the surface of the multitudes of food trucks here in Austin and I have no choice but to continue to refine my palate at the same time as my writing skills. I hope you will continue to support this blog and eat with me for as long as the Internet exists.

However, with that said, I do need to inform the public that the blog will take a considerable sabbatical starting today. Well, really starting on September 20 (which is when I’m writing this, but I have no idea when I’ll be able to post it). I have a few posts that are in the works still and I will get those up as soon as I can, but there will be a significant delay. You see, I’m flying to Guatemala today to spend three months learning Spanish, absorbing as much of the culture as I can, and loving on as many people as I come into contact with.

Yes, I’ll be eating food there and I’ll probably write about it, but that won’t be my main focus. While I am passionate about good food, that passion pales in comparison to my heart’s number one love: loving people and helping them in whatever way I can (especially children). In that light, I’m primarily going to be volunteering at Safe Passage (Camino Seguro) in Guatemala City. This organization provides educational opportunities for the children and families that live and work in the city’s landfill (among many other things) and I am humbly joining the ranks of volunteers that live out that mission.

I won’t have much time or energy to spend on this blog, but I am not abandoning it. I will post the reviews that are in the queue at the moment, and I promise at least one posting about Guatemalan food (hopefully street food).

Thank you so much for all the encouraging support I have gotten in response to this blog. I never dreamed this little project would turn into anything that people would actually like to read and I appreciate you taking your time to be a part of this. I have learned so many things about food trailers, delicious food, friendship, and myself through this process and I hope that it will all endure the short break. I look forward to posting again for you soon, so stay tuned for more info!

Much love,
Shalyn Shanks

P.S. If you get a chance to go to the Gypsy Picnic, please eat something superb on my behalf! I’m quite sad I’ll miss that this year.