The Great Outdoors

Two months in and people haven’t stopped asking if I love living in Austin, my answer is always YES! My home here feels more “me” than I ever thought possible, I’ve been able to have more laughs with my best friends than I could have predicted, and the food! Oh my goodness, I think I could live here the rest of my life and still not get to try every delicious morsel that’s offered because there’s just too many options! With tacos, tequila, dance parties, and laughter at every turn, it’s been a wonderful experience so far. However, I will say I kept feeling as though something was missing, and for the first few weeks I couldn’t figure out what it was; that is until, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I missed being outside. I missed my long walks (not the hills though, that was terrible), I missed walking outside in the fresh mountain air hearing nothing but birds and the wind. I missed it more than I could have ever imagined I would and it surprised me, once I realized what it was I started craving it. I needed to get outside, I was itching for it, the way you do a glass of water the moment you realize you’re thirsty. It was all I could think about. When I suggested going for a hike while my best friend was visiting I couldn’t help but feel relief the moment she agreed to go. When I got out of the car and heard the birds in the rustling trees I knew this was what I had needed. We walked for miles and I found myself taking it all in, every tree, every berry, even the moss seemed more beautiful than I could have imagined. When she asked if I felt it was time for us to head back, I knew I wanted to keep going, I wanted to spend the entire day wandering through the mud, listening to the stream as we walked alongside it. As we eventually made our way to the car I knew I would come back, I had found a small piece of my heaven in Austin, one that reminded me of my home in Montana, one that would provide me with the sense of calm I always felt on the trails in Helena. Except this time, there were tacos and queso waiting for me afterwards. It’s safe to say, I’m definitely loving it here.