AUSTINTATIOUS

And as I drive away, I leave my heart in Texas.

Or rather, as Jamal drives me away I leave my heart in Texas.

Quick Tip – If you’re best friend’s a know-it-all and you’re foot is tired, a quick wikpedia and trivia-challenge will get you everywhere.

But that having been said, I will be returning to Austin.

Even as we pulled in we could sense that this city had a proud and vibrant spirit. An emo-CEO’s neon-dream, the skyline reflects a hip and thriving city as even during these hard times cranes and pulleys work away. The air is crisp, and dry – walking around with Jamal I mused that it felt like I was being “massaged” by it. He looked at me funny, and I took a picture.

But yeah, this is one rad, rad, radical city. Before this trip I always noticed that people would swoon over Austin whenever they talked about their favorite places in America. Having never been to Texas prior to this trip I always pictured a small college-y town with nice locals and good music. I couldn’t have been more wronger.

Austin is like the best parts of New York, Chicago and LA were like “I’m goin to Texas!” Man everyone is cool here. Babies are cool. And not cool in a "I'm cool" kinda way, cool in a stay-up-all-night-drinkin-and-hunt-you-breakfast-cool. Slide-guitar-and-javascript-cool.

So feeling kinda cool I challenged Jamal’s "supposed" iron stomach to a steak-off at the Hoffbrau House – a meat-and-potatoes joint with a huge steer’s head schilloueted over the entrance. Jamal likes to talk a good game about how much he can eat so I found this place on the nav that advertises that if you can eat their whole 72 OZ lunch, everyone eats for free. What’s more efficient than that?

Well let’s just say that Jamal’s stomach is also a hybrid cause he consumed as little as humanly possible. I don’t wanna say I’m disappointed in my old friend but it’s a good thing I didn’t bet any money cause I would have lost it after 12 OZ of good red meat and a russet. If there’s one thing Jamal isn’t, it’s a power-eater. We split the bill and got the remaining chuck to-go as he limped into the Honda.

Despite feeling like a steer had kicked me in the chops I couldn’t love Austin any more. Walking into the first bar Jamal and I randomly picked I randomly ran into my boy Dario who I used to hang out with in Kentucky. He’s Serbian and he manages focus-groups for big corporations which isn’t really funny until you hear him describe it in his accent. Apparently he came to Austin a year ago for some conference and liked it so much he just stayed. People who can work from a laptop are very, very lucky.

So after a drink, Dario Jamal and I went out for a walk around Austin and had a good old time. Music came from every corner and even places with no customers had someone on a guitar strumming and singing. The mix of people was so diverse I couldn’t really put my finger on what I saw most of but everyone was really good looking in a jeans-add-for-a-pair-you-might-actually-buy kinda way. And me in my Crocs…

After getting a two pound-hot-dog that could rival the 72 OZ of steak that Jamal tried to eat for lunch, we walked to the Congress Bridge and witnessed 1.5 million bats leave to feed at once. Every night at sunset, 1.5 million bats stream out from under the bridge and go somewhere to feed. Exactly where they go remains a mystery which seems odd given that 1.5 million is a lot of bats – a number I did not doubt when the horizon grew black with a shifting storm, of bat. I heard that people in the water under the bats have a great view of the action, and the guano. Let’s just say I’m glad we stayed on the bridge.

And so on we drive – New Orleans isn’t that far ahead. I’ve heard that I10 going into Lousiana is pretty and if the amazing weather we’ve had is any indication we get to see it at it’s best. While my heart may be in Texas I predict it’s stowed away in the back. Under the tinted glass in the Insight hatchback, I’ll bet it found a comfy place to ride.

Big easy here we come.