Adios, Austin! I didn't have a very blog-worthy last week here, as I was mostly scrambling to get things in line for the next leg of my journey, as well as dealing with some events in my personal life. I had a really good time in Austin, though, and definitely consider it high on my list of places to potentially settle down in.
Coming in at the last minute, finally got some Austin BBQ. This was from the famous Stubb's restaurant, and I thought it was very "alright."I met another guitar-playing Aaron! I had an old guitar case I wanted to get rid of, so threw it onto the Craigslist free section. I had probably two dozen replies, but when I saw one from Aaron I knew that us Aaron's needed to stick together.
February 27th, 2022
It's been a stressful week! It was my last full week in Austin, so I've been handling a lot of logistical stuff as I get ready for my next adventure. I also had some stuff going on in my personal life, as well as work-related stressors and the events with Russia invading Ukraine consuming my news feeds. Plus, I've made some friends out here and so it's been sad as I say goodbye and move on my way. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to tear myself down, just to build myself back up again. It's exhausting, but also a really strong catalyst for growth.
Out riding with the cycling crew, headed towards the capital.Another shot from cruising around the capital. The weather was bad all week, but opened back up into a really nice day on Sunday, thankfully!An assembly of people calling for attention and support to the Ukraine invasion.Found this really cool statue while out cycling! So cool that I had to turn around to take a closer look, and a photo. I really like the composition!Saw this neat jeep while out and about. I talked with the owner who was a pretty interesting person.Check this bar out! It's like a camping or tailgating themed place, with a bunch of campfires and lawn chairs. It was really crowded, so just snapped this photo and left.
February 21st, 2022
This week was simultaneously very eventful and very uneventful. I had a lot of stuff going on at work, and a few pretty interesting things happen in my personal life...but not a whole lot in the "post on a travel blog" realm! Here's a few photos I snagged from the week:
Saw the first truly beautiful sunset this week. Maybe I've missed them previously, or maybe this time of year isn't great for them? In any case, this one was awesome!On Saturday I packed up my guitar, picnic blanket and some snacks and headed out to Shoal Beach park, which borders the Colorado River. I had a great time just being lazy and people watching. I thought I'd be bored without any company, but had a great time!As has become the weekly tradition, went out with the Sunday Cruise crew. This week we took a really cool path through some nearby parks, stopping at a few places along the way.
February 13th, 2022
The Austin saga continues! A lot of the usual; dinner with friends, cycling around and working. This past Wednesday was my Caliversary, marking two years since I hopped on an airplane and moved across the country. What an absolutely wild ride it's been since then! I remember thinking to myself "when I get to California, I'm going to stop moving so much." And here we are, two years later, and I'm moving more than ever.
No matter how much you plan, life seems to always have a different one.
Celebrating my Caliversary! The first meal I had in California was a west-coast style wet burrito and Modelo, so figured I'd make it a tradition of sorts. The guy in the food truck was pretty confused at my request to have fries on the inside, and the sauce on the outside.I had a really good day on Thursday. I started my day by going to a coffee shop and getting a little work done, but the day was so beautiful I ended up hopping on my bike and cruising around for a few hours. I found this cool sculpture while out and about. I'm really grateful for the ability to have such a flexible work schedule and take advantage of times like those :)A photo of the Colorado River, with downtown Austin peaking out on the horizon. Taken from Montopolis Bridge.Out for a Sunday cruise with a big group of cyclists. Saw some old friends and met some new ones!Another shot of the crowd that came out for the Sunday bicycle cruise. Can you spot the most interesting portion of this photo?At a Live Oak brewery with some of the people from the bike group. Clockwise that's me, Bill, a couple who I didn't catch their names, Amy and Leigh. All really nice people, as everyone in Austin seems to be.
February 6th, 2022
This week was not as eventful as I'd have liked. A lot of that was due to the weather, we had a winter storm come through which hampered many of my normal activities. On the plus side, it meant that I had a pretty productive week since I spent more time indoors getting things done!
On Saturday I caught up with my friend Ishaan. He's been living here since August, and invited me and a few of his other friends out for a night of merriment. I had a great time, it was really fun getting the chance to explore the famous 6th Street and Rainey Street bars with good company.As mentioned, a winter storm came through. It dropped a bit of snow, and covered most everything in ice. I'd consider it relatively mild, but virtually everything was shut down for a couple days.I found this cozy little nook at the Google Austin office. A nice spot to do some thinking, or perhaps sip your morning coffee while you plan the day.Is this what it means to Keep Austin Weird? I've seen this at a number of chain grocery stores now, and so went out of my way to confirm with locals that it is indeed a "thing." Someone described it in the same avenue as a bloody mary; savory and not for everyone, but refreshing. Gross.
January 30th, 2022
Hello from Austin! I absolutely love it here so far. My place is much nicer (and spacious) than the studio in NYC, and it's also been really easy to meet people and find things to do. It seems like there's a really diverse set of interests here, coupled with a younger crowd that makes it easy to find things to do. The weather was a bit nippy earlier in the week, but mangeable. This weekend it was perfect: blue skies, upper 60's and sunny. It's been great to get back into some warmer weather and back on my bike. Speaking of which, I had no idea that Austin has such an active cycling community. There's tons of dedicated bike lanes, cyclists out and about, and social cycling clubs.
Everyone here has also been incredibly friendly, and it's made for some fun times already. One really neat experience was meeting the owner of a local cafe, Dear Diary. It was her birthday on Saturday, and she invited people to the cafe. She had also decided not to renew her license to sell alcohol, so she had a few kegs to drain and was giving away free beers as part of the celebration! It was really amazing to feel so included and welcomed into the city.
On Saturday I went to this group cycling and arts event. About fifty of us met up at a local coffee shop, then cruised down to a park in the city to lay out some blankets, chat and create art. There were all sorts of crafty people: photographers, musicians, painter, etc. I even saw one guy making playdough sculptures!On Sunday I went out hiking with a group of people from Meetup. It was less of a hike, and more of a leisurely stroll through the woods. But it was still nice to get out and meet some more people.I'm proud of this photo I snapped while out and about. This is the Colorado River, underneath the Lamar Bridge and looking at the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge.Another photo of the city skyline. I've seen the swan paddleboats a few times, and there also seems to always be kayakers and paddleboarders out on the river. I'm hoping to go do that next weekend.
