The Journey To Austin - Post 1 of 4
The Preparation: It’s finally official – I am a living breathing resident of Austin TX!! It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks, and now that I’m here, I have the chance to update y’all on the journey. (FYI I’ve said y’all for years, I didn’t adopt the vernacular that quick. Though I can’t wait to see how a southern drawl fits in with my Midwest/Bostonian/Hippie accent I currently roll with). The official process started on February 17th. My sister came through that Thursday, dropped her car off, and I drove her an hour into Omaha to the airport, where she was headed to Houston for a week for her birthday. This elicits a mention because of her adorable bordering on traumatic fear of flying. My sister is almost 20 years older than me, and while she has flown before, she’s never done so on her own. So this wasn’t a curbside drop off airport trip. I checked her in, checked her bags, and even requested and was granted a guest pass so I could go all the way to the gate with her. I guarantee the guy at the ticket counter was amused with my whole “My big sister needs me story.) Once I returned home that afternoon, I kicked it into full gear. I started posting everything on Craigslist, (Thanks to all who showed it love and convinced me to wait on the right buyer for my dresser – I’m confident it went to a loving home!), cleaning, tossing, and packing everything in the apartment, and eating very “creative” clean out the pantry meals. Thursday the 23rd my sister flew back in, and my hard work had paid off. The apartment was empty, so all I had to do was pick her up, switch cars, and head back to the town I grew up in. I spent the next 3 ½ days back home, with my dad, and my family, and some amazing friends. The absolute best part of this time was being able to re-establish myself in the lives of some amazing kids, in the hopes that they don’t forget me once I take off again. Other highlights: - I watched a couple of my high school friends play a pick up basketball game, while I broke out some of my old school cheers. Nothing more pathetic than 30 year olds live reminiscing their glory days. - Had a tea party with my friend H and her two gorgeous daughters. - Went to a gun party for turkey hunters, the absolute most appropriate place for an outspoken liberal like myself. That's it for now. Stay tuned for the next 3 chapters: The Drive The Arrival and most importantly The Future!