I took a little trip home this weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve been there and in fact, my “home” is no longer in my family. It was sold when I graduated high school. Now my folks live on a nice little ranch outside of my original hometown of Abilene, Texas.
Well, it was a great trip. My folks place looks as good as it ever has. The temperature didn’t get above 100 and I had a great road trip partner. It’s not often that I make it home. It’s a 3.5 hour drive and my folks come to Austin enough to keep my conscience clear. However, this trip was reinvigorating. It made me remember the place to helped shaped me. Steph and I went on a little tour of my old “stomping grounds” to see the old high school, old hangouts, and the bustling city center of Abilene. We may have seen…4 pedestrians while we were there.
It was fun to tell some stories of the old days and to show someone who’s only known my “Austin-self,” a little piece of my upbringing. I’m glad I got out of the place, but it’s always nice to revisit. It’s the first time I’ve actually gone “into town” for 2-3 years (I pretty much never leave the ranch when I go back home now) and it was, admittedly, a nice visit. However, it definitely reminded me of why I got out. Hilariously conservative bumper stickers, ZERO nightlife, and a town whose population is only growing older are just a few of the problems. The downtown area has so much potential, but I’m afraid our daydreaming of turning the place into a oasis for young adults was just that. The uber-conservative nature of the area tends to disagree with the typical fun places you’d find every two blocks in Austin. Oh well, perhaps someday we’ll see the city grow in a healthy manner, but I’m not sure it will be in my lifetime. I just can’t believe there aren’t more bars and live music venues with 3 colleges in the town.
My fun trip aside, here’s some links I’ve been hitting up recently, and I bet you’ll find them interesting too. Look for links every Monday now. Maybe they’ll help you get past your case of the Mondays.
-Shit my Dad Says- Many of us could probably make some hilarious websites with shit our dads say. This guy just happens to have an extra funny dad.
-My Hypem- Always gets me through the day. Should be some good tracks for you to soak up on there.
-Geography of Coffee- TONS of info on coffee. and being the map nerd that I am, I found this to be particularly interesting.
This reminded me of every family reunion (from my mom's side) we went to--my mom grew up on a farm south of Miller, SD, after her mom died and her dad remarried, they moved into Miller proper. After her dad died, she and her brother sold the old farm. And every time we go there, we drive by the property and she tells us some story about growing up there.
Also, one of my friends in California just sent me the "Shit my Dad Says" Twitter. High-larity.
Monday Thoughts: Home
I took a little trip home this weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve been there and in fact, my “home” is no longer in my family. It was sold when I graduated high school. Now my folks live on a nice little ranch outside of my original hometown of Abilene, Texas.
Well, it was a great trip. My folks place looks as good as it ever has. The temperature didn’t get above 100 and I had a great road trip partner. It’s not often that I make it home. It’s a 3.5 hour drive and my folks come to Austin enough to keep my conscience clear. However, this trip was reinvigorating. It made me remember the place to helped shaped me. Steph and I went on a little tour of my old “stomping grounds” to see the old high school, old hangouts, and the bustling city center of Abilene. We may have seen…4 pedestrians while we were there.
It was fun to tell some stories of the old days and to show someone who’s only known my “Austin-self,” a little piece of my upbringing. I’m glad I got out of the place, but it’s always nice to revisit. It’s the first time I’ve actually gone “into town” for 2-3 years (I pretty much never leave the ranch when I go back home now) and it was, admittedly, a nice visit. However, it definitely reminded me of why I got out. Hilariously conservative bumper stickers, ZERO nightlife, and a town whose population is only growing older are just a few of the problems. The downtown area has so much potential, but I’m afraid our daydreaming of turning the place into a oasis for young adults was just that. The uber-conservative nature of the area tends to disagree with the typical fun places you’d find every two blocks in Austin. Oh well, perhaps someday we’ll see the city grow in a healthy manner, but I’m not sure it will be in my lifetime. I just can’t believe there aren’t more bars and live music venues with 3 colleges in the town.
My fun trip aside, here’s some links I’ve been hitting up recently, and I bet you’ll find them interesting too. Look for links every Monday now. Maybe they’ll help you get past your case of the Mondays.
-Shit my Dad Says- Many of us could probably make some hilarious websites with shit our dads say. This guy just happens to have an extra funny dad.
-My Hypem- Always gets me through the day. Should be some good tracks for you to soak up on there.
-Geography of Coffee- TONS of info on coffee. and being the map nerd that I am, I found this to be particularly interesting.