Went on a backpacking escapade with Katelynn and Luke, her boyfriend. We drove about 45 minutes southeast to Bastrop State Park where we hiked around in their primitive backpacking area. Not sure the exact mileage we logged somewhere around 7 or 8 miles. We hiked in each carrying a gallon jug of water, can't seem to escape carrying extra water in Texas! (referencing when I led an Outdoor Adventure backpacking trip in Big Bend, TX where we hiked in 5 gallon jugs of water) First time ever bringing a dog into the backcountry and I tiny little trooper at that. Teddy hiked most of the way often running ahead of us and then all the way back. Highlights: We set up camp after a mile or so to drop off the water and some of our pack weight, set up the tent, etc.. and then were on our way. After hiking a loop we headed back to camp; however, it was dark and we missed Luke's stick boyscout sign and could not see the tent from the path. After backtracking we eventually found it and then made a delightful meal of bean burritos. Delicious and also cooking for 3 people on a gas stove took about five minutes - amazing!
After hiking out the next day we stopped at a gas station to get my classic snickers and a coffee :) Have to say it was a great last backpacking venture for a bit.
With Emily at work during weekdays I find other ways to amuse myself. So I decided to use my cooking/Martha Stewart side, be domestic, and make Emily a dinner. Rode my bike to the Food Co-op and to Fiesta Mart acquiring my supplies and then biked home with my groceries in my backpacking bag.
Tuesday, November 16th
I have an addiction to fried avocado tacos. Went to Torchy's again today by myself for lunch.
Met up with Sally, an old friend back from ASP (Appalachia Service Project) summer staff days. We went to La Tazza Fresca and I must say they have one of the best chai tea lattes I have ever tasted! Wish I would have found it before my last day in Austin. It was really great to Sally again before I left - nice to still have a connection even after not seeing each other for a couple of years.
Biked over to Mozarts, the coffeeshop on Lake Austin. Definitely took a different route that involved more hills and fewer bike lanes. Rewarded myself with a piece of chocolate peanut butter cake :) Also realized that biking is my most efficient means of transportation. Faster than waiting for the bus and figuring out bus routes, maybe even faster than a car because you never have to worry about finding a place to park; there's always room at the bike rack or a sign to attach to.
Had a farewell dinner over at Hula Hut, they're a restaurant associated with Chuy's. Enjoyed some Red Stripes and a great veggie taco with the great company of Emily, Keagon, Katelynn, and Luke. My wonderful month long housemates even surprised me with a great card and a Keep Austin Weird shirt. You guys are the best :)
We finished off the evening by driving out to Mt. Bennell. After a bit of stairs there's a great view of the city, the river, and everything especially at night with the city lights was the perfect end to my last day in Austin.
Wednesday, November 17th
This past month has been a good growing moment for me. I needed to remind myself I can do the solo thing. I can count the number of experiences where I’ve left home and gone off on my own for a month of longer and the Peace Corps is like stringing 27 of those one month segments together. I like to think I’m fairly skilled at adapting to new situations and finding a place to belong.
Austin was a lot of things to me. It was helping a friend move to a new city to start a new segment of life. It was showing me I could spend at least a month away from my family when I’m used to living with them every week. It was showing myself I can get into biking shape and learn some bike maintenance, re-learning how to adjust to new places and what I need to maintain a happy equilibrium, and testing out the best of Tex-Mex and Mexican that Austin has to offer :) And putting all those things together it was putting me into a better place mentally to grasp my limited time line before departure and to focus positively on embracing all the moments until January 31st.
I’m sitting in the St. Louis airport right now. Been traveling around all day from Austin to a brief stop in Dallas and now to St. Louis, journaling during my 2 hour layover. When I fly to Zambia it will be by far the longest I’ve ever been on an airplane; that’ll be an interesting one.
Southwest has the great insight to let you fly with two checked bags for free. The total weight of my two bags came to 80 pounds, right on the dot exactly. I’m allowed to check a total of 80 pounds when I fly to Zambia. Glad to know I brought the same amount of things with me for a month in Texas as I will be able to for 27 months in Africa. Think I’m going to need to do a couple of trial runs to make sure I fit in under the weight requirement. Especially since my packing list just continues growing and it all seems 'necessary'. After spending a month without soccer a soccer ball and small pump has been bumped to the top of the 'optional items' list.
Whelp must be going think we’re about to start boarding. I’ll update things more when I get home to Northville.
Also completed on the 17th:
*Lesson learned. Skirt = loose clothing, loose clothing = pat down in airport security
* Pawned my bike this morning. First pawn shop experience. So not sure if it's the norm or not but there didn't seem to be much negotiating. I told him a price, he told me he couldn't do that, told me a different price, I tried my haggling skills (think I have a LOT of room for growth), and then we stayed at his price. But heck overall profit-loss, I paid $10 to have a bike for a month - not bad. Paid more for the bike lock - do you need one of those in Africa?
No comments:
Post a Comment