Day 18 Austin and a change in plans.

Sorry it's taken me so long to get around to a new update. I've been distracted exploring Austin, and I think I could live here.

Very first thing I noticed. QR code stickers and graffiti are everywhere!

The highway system isn't as bad as it's told, but traffic is still pretty terrible. Everything is relatively close together, but the highways don't always make it a quick trip.

Just crawling along for most of the day, and it's even worse off the highways.

That's probably why Austin is such a bicycle-focused city. There are bikers and bike shops everywhere. That doesn't mean it's safe though.

It's called a Ghost Bike. They are put up when a cyclist loses his life in a traffic accident, often when the vehicle driver isn't found.

Most of the time here I've spent hanging with my friends from college who emigrated over the last couple of years. That means Dungeons and Dragons, which I didn't get any photos of because if you've seen one game you've seen them all. I was also introduced to a new tabletop game called "Paranoia". It's pretty interesting, because the first rule is that knowing the rules is against the rules.

A bunch of geeks and nerds sitting around a table, painted figurines, maps, paper, and dice, and books.

There's a few things that I've seen around town that have pretty much cinched it for me as a possible place I'd like to live. Firstly,

Austin has a sense of humor. I like that in a city.

Secondly,

Torchys Tacos. The very best taco joint I have ever eaten at. The three tacos in the picture you see are The Libertarian (deep-fried jalepeno sausage), The Democrat (slow-roasted barbacoa), and The Crossroads (Smoked beef brisket). All so very good, and suited perfectly to real Dublin Dr. Pepper.

I haven't gone to many events yet, but I'm going to hit up a concert or two this weekend. You might as well when you're in the live music capital of the world!


As for the change in plans, I've been on the road for close to three weeks now. I've seen some friends I haven't seen in a long time, and I've had a lot of time to myself to think. When I left Houston, I left someone that I've spent the better part of the last seven years of my life with. I'd say that I'm homesick, but it's not for a place, it's for a person.

As such, I'm going to be changing up my schedule a bit. I'm heading to Buffalo on Sunday to see family and enjoy the last of memorial day weekend, then I'm heading back to Houston until I head to LA for the Electronic Entertainment Expo. After that, I'll return to Houston again. I'll still make road trips out to see the world, but I like having a home to come back to.

Day 7

What a first week! I've seen a whole lot of San Antonio, and I think I've started to set some good habits for myself.

For starters, every day I try to start it off by patronizing an independent coffee shop. I've hit four different ones so far, and the best one I've been to so far in San Antonio was Olmos Perk, near Olmos Park. Great design for a shop, good coffee, and the internet was fast and unfiltered. In comparison, Grace Cafe, attached to a Seminary YMCA, had merely OK coffee, bland design, and an internet connection with a prudish filter.

Didn't get a shot of the Olmos Perk, but here's another cafe I visited during the SA storm last week.

After that, I start hunting for interesting things to see and do. So far, I've hit nearly every museum in San Antonio and a few of the parks besides. The Witte museum is more of a children's educational thing than an actual museum, but SAMA, the art museum, was wonderful.

I still like new art better than classic art.

I also had the chance yesterday to go out to a shooting range. It's been a few months since I've handled a firearm, but I can still shoot six inch groups at five yards with an unfamiliar weapon after I've put half a box though it. The rangemaster was also a former shooting instructor, and he ran us through some entertaining drills just for fun.

.40 S&W Sig Sauer. Plenty of kick, makes me wish I could bring a gun along for my trip if only for the chance to go plinking.

My current tentative schedule has me hanging about in SA for another two days, then heading for Austin on Thursday morning. I'll be staying with Roy, a friend from my college gaming group. And if you think of anything in SA or Austin you think I should see, let me know!

Day 3

It's been an interesting couple of days so far! I've spent time with my dad, as well as some old college and highschool friends.

Don't you give me that look, Celia!

It was also time for some nostalgia. Visiting Tomball College where I completed my associates.

Looks like they did manage to change their name. I liked the old one better.

Turns out that despite the new library under construction, it hasn't changed as much as I thought. While almost nobody from my original circle of friends is still there, the geeks, dweebs, and nerds are still the biggest social circle in the commons.

Not pictured: Discussion of the merits of various champions in League of Legends.

All told, it was a wonderful way to spend the last couple of days. I'll be heading out for San Antonio here in an hour or so, and I've got a wild hair about video blogging. We'll see if the microphone on my camera is up to the task.

Today's the day

I've left home today.

I was expecting it to be hard, leaving everything you've ever known behind you and striking out for the unknown always is. Packing up and making ready for the road isn't the difficult part, it's saying Goodbye to people you know and love.

I'm looking forward to all the new places that I'm going to get to see, but I'll be bringing a piece of everyone along with me.