First off, Austin is HUGE. There’s over two million people, dozens of cool neighborhoods, and great live music seven nights a week. There was seemingly endless nightlife, countless food trucks, and so much culture to explore. Even after six week I never felt like I made a dent. It was overwhelming in a way, and I did my best to experience as much as I could.
Second, Austin has some AWESOME people. Everyone is fun, easy going, and super interesting. But the best part was that I got to spend time with some of my best friends. I am forever grateful to Amanda King, Chris Florence, and Shelly Florence for spending so much quality time. You are incredible friends who made me feel welcome from the moment I arrived and introduced me to such great people. I also got to drink all the wine in Fredericksburg with Chris and Britney Nuckolls and made lasting friends at WeWork and Crossfit that I will certainly miss. Indeed, spending time with people you care about makes life worth living.
Finally, Austin has some BIG TIME things to see, do, eat, and experience. I learned to two-step at Broken Spoke, ate my body weight in brisket at LA Barbeque, swam in Barton Springs, watched Brother Mac jam out at Half Step Bar stopped by the local Lululemon crushed some Torchy’s Tacos, thumbed through thousands of records, and saw a one-armed man electrocute himself at the Museum of Weird. Needless to say, I made the most of my time there.
Living in a big city also brought some challenges. Austin is definitely not bikable, so I spent way too much money on Ubers and Lyfts. I also lived in 6 different AirBNBs in four different neighborhoods over six weeks due to construction and apartment problems. This allowed me to experience different parts of the city, but it’s hard feel settled when you pack up your life every couple weeks (and sometimes every couple days). But that’s all part of the adventure.
Overall, I loved my time in the lone star state and I know I’ll be back again soon. So, until next time, keep Austin weird, my friends. I will miss you <3