to austin and back

last weekend, i needed to get away. i haven't really left houston since i moved here (except for a quick trip halfway to dallas to see my dad for a few hours!! so great), and i needed an adventure, to change up the pace a little.

needless to say, it was AWESOME. my host, cori, friend from kansas who just moved to austin, was too wonderful. we got to hang out all weekend and do fun things. austin city limits (ACL), a giant annual music festival was happening that weekend, and we braved the crowds and the rain to check it out, even though we didn't have tickets. i've been wanting to go to the festival for so many years now, and while i was hoping to find some free/cheap passes, it was still worth it just to be near it and in the energy. i am definitely going next year.

cori and i

all the bikes locked up at the festival!!

on the left is a kid, holding a string, attached
to a dollar bill laying on the grass. on the
sidewalk are oncoming victims of the prank.
hilarious.

in the midst of it all, we got to eat out a couple times at some of my favorite places (magnolia for brunch, trudy's for dinner), shop a bit on congress street (cowboy boots!), and visit a local frozen banana stand that a girl i knew in high school started in austin. frozen bananas are ridiculously good.

i loved these boots. it surprised me, but i did. too bad they were $150

bananarchy

their best-seller is the afternoon delight.
my favorite name is the hippy dippy. hee hee

we also took an adventuresome bus-ride at 10pm into downtown to see a local artist, suzanna choffel, play. she is great - the white lauryn hill, in my opinion - and it was especially entertaining to watch some of the people dance:



dancing man (sorry, i can't rotate)

the stamp to get into the show. this picture is solely for amanda dieker.
we made them "meow" all evening.

last but not least, we visited the cathedral of junk, an incredible playground made entirely of donated crap, built in the creator's back yard. fun!






over the weekend i also got to see my friends kristen, jordan, and sarah. yay!


overall, it was a much needed getaway. i felt that it was an important trip for several reasons:

1) i followed through with a need i felt.
2) houston became a place that i came back to, which helps solidify its role as home right now.
3) God refreshed my soul with the rain, made me empassioned to embrace my youth again, gave me images and thoughts of new mexico and nickel creek, things that make me feel alive.

--a side note: last friday, in a group therapy session created to work on breath support and trunk control, we were dancing at the end of the session, and one of my patients, a 50-something-year-old wheelchair-bound man saw me moving my feet and said, "man, what i would give to be able to do that again." it really hit me hard. dancing is such a high - when you really free yourself and let yourself get into it, moving your body and feeling the rhythm, it feels so good. and to not be able to do that?? man. and i just don't take the opportunity to do it as much as i know my soul needs. i think of nicole, who loves to dance, and who makes that happen even just in the living room of her home. SO, that night i danced in my room by myself. and i plan on salsa dancing just as soon as i can find a dance partner.
anyways, i just felt encouraged to live into my youth - right now, and even at every age!

any other ideas for this project (besides dancing and walking in the rain) are welcome.

hope you all are well. and eating lots of pumpkin treats. like these.