Sayonara

Friends,

I am no longer an Austinite.

This post has taken me several weeks to write due to denial. The 2.5 years I was there were the most important years of my 25 this far. I moved there alone to start a new life. I learned to navigate a new city, make new friends when I knew no one, start my first job, and most importantly rely solely on Him to develop, create and guide me to be the independent young woman I am today. The personal growth during my time there is incomparable.

I had fun as a single 20 something bolting around the greatest city in the world conquering life as it was thrown at me each day. Austin taught me to live and for that I will always be thankful. I will miss my wonderful job, the family I made, my church, town lake and all of the live music :)

What's that saying? With every closed door another one opens? The story may be closing in Austin for now but I couldn't be happier to see what this next chapter brings me. I mean.... Gods involved so it's gotta be good right?! I'm back in Dallas and now close to family, friends and of course boy. :) AND pearl girl will be my little slice of Austin here in Dallas.

As sentimental as I am, I'm just as excited to share my new adventures with you! But for now heres a tribute to my time in Austin

x

labeast

Cathedral of Junk

These pictures are from January GASP!

When Crash came to visit and we went to the Cathedral of Junk. 

I brought Diana and we played.

Only in Austin

Would there be a tower of junk

that is molded and cemented together

to form art

in some dudes backyard

that you can climb on

for free

Only in Austin

SXSW

SO South by Southwest is incredible. I love it so much. Get ready for lots of annoying posts and pictures to come. But for now enjoy this post I found from a blog I frequent, Hipstercrite. In order to survive this week of madness, take this advice. 

SXSW Survival Gear

by Hipstercrite

You're in Austin.

You're about to see an ass load of indie bands perform out of every nook and cranny of this city.

It's 95 degrees, then it suddenly hails, then it goes back to 95 degrees with a humidity index of 99%.

You spot a boy who wears a smaller jean size than you and you are determined to make out with him by the end of the night.

It's late, you're drunk off of Lone Stars because you only had seven breakfast tacos about twelve hours ago, and you have blisters lining the bottom of your feet.

These are questions and scenarios that will arise this week during SXSW.

Don't be unprepared!

Follow my survival guide list below and you're sure to have a worth-while and healthy SXSW experience.

1.) The Fanny Pack- Fuck purses. Who said these ever went out of style? WHO? TELL ME! I recommend theAmerican Apparel shiny denim fanny pack in royal blue because it's awe-inspiring. Look at it. LOOK AT IT! Pretty.

2.) A Pair of Tom's Shoes- Never mind. These hipster staples are like having a thin layer of burlap separating you from the ground. I can't believe they're donated to a child every time a pair is sold. The next generation is going to grow up all jacked with arthritis.
(*this statement is in jest...Tom's is a great company that does a lot of wonderful things)

3.) Cheap Brightly Colored Wayfarers- Because in a way we're all still stuck in 2004, aren't we?

4.) Cardigan- Texas weather is known to be a fickle one, so make sure to carry around a cardigan with you for night or when it spontaneously rains though the precipitation level is 0%. Also, throwing on a cardigan over any shitty ol' outfit, will suddenly make you look more intelligent than you actually are.

5.) Clean Underwear- 'Cause Lord only knows what you're going to do with your current pair of underwear.

6.) Scrunchies- Ladies, you make fun of them, but you know you secretly love them. Who is going to hold back your hair when you're puking up all that free Hornito's in the Beauty Bar toliet? Not that DJ with the florescent bike cap. He's been eyeing the girl with the non-prescription horn-rimmed glasses that are over-taking her face all night. You always have a friend in the scrunchie. 

7.) Fake Mustache- Because you don't want to feel left out in this city.

8.) Business Cards- Business cards legitimize you. Even if you have nothing to sell. 

9.) Granola Bars- The nice thing about Austin is that we're not a bunch of assholes that bump up the price of everything while you're visiting. However, your eating times might be off and in order to not get wasted by 4PM, it's worth carrying some snacks around with you (Dear Lord. I sound like my mother).

10.) Water- Blah blah blah boring

11.) $1's- For when you wander off alone to the strip club near the airport during a drunken blackout. Right, Marcos?

12.) Air Mattress- Often enough couches are better than air mattresses. Most of the time you wake on the hard wood floor, the mattress having deflated like that of your hard-on after popping way too many Adderall. However, the couch might already be taken by the time you get there, so make sure you come prepared. 

13.) Chapstick- Because by the end of the night, your mouth is going to look like that of a crusty crack addict.

14.) Diana Camera- To commemorate the night you get shit-faced with Bill Murray or corner David Byrne up against a wall and explain to him how you two were always meant to be together...in lo-fi.

and don't you think twice about me bolting around with Diana yesterday. We had lots of fun and she was quite a conversation starter. One band member noticed my Diana and gave us free tickets to their show later. Neat Diana.

SPRING BREAK 2010!

So Im having issues with the fact that I am NOT in England right now. I am still trying to convince myself that it is a good thing that I didn't travel anywhere on my week off. I did head to Dallas for an extended weekend. YAHOO!!

DALLAS SB 2010!

So exciting! 

(note my sarcasm)

One convincing factor that it was a good idea to stay put over spring break is that on Sunday I could NOT keep my eyes open. I slept SO much. I definitely needed it and would not be able to sleep if I was surrounded with british accents (men) in an exciting place such as London.

I also wouldn't have had a wine and dinner night with the "Tiny Dancers" if I was in England. A free meal made by a fabulous cook. Yeah I could have had wine and a fabulous dinner, but it definitely wouldn't have been free nor would it have been spent with such good company :)

I wouldn't have worked out with "bestie" at the "skinny jeans" class at Equinox gym for FREE if I was in England. My legs would still be functioning properly and I would not be so sore to the point of immobility  if I was in England right now..but whats the fun in that?

I also wouldn't have gone to the Dallas Zoo with "Crash" if I was in England. A cheap $12 entertainment choice. Look at all the money I saved!

And I got to see this lil guy!

He's wavin!

"Hi! Im fancy!"

these beauties are fascinating

The picture below is a remake of a picture we took once when we were 17 in NYC. Ill try to find it and put it up to compare.

The elephant and giraffes were in a temporary home while their new home was in construction. 

(and since Im sick I sound 5 yrs old)

But I really shouldn't be complaining because Im getting LOTS of visitors in Austin this weekend. Its the South by Southwest film/music festival and lots of celebrities are in town. 

Its my time to shine! Cant wait to bolt around with huge sunglasses and hipster wear with Adam Brody on my arm. sigh. a girl can dream cant she?

Dont second guess that I wont meet every celebrity I can.

other visitors include:

Cousin Lora + friend

Bestie + boyfriend Patsy

Shannon + boy...friend

well, wasnt Thursday eventful in ATX?

Thursday an angry man expressed himself by flying his plane into a government building.

Events of the day:

5:00: my alarm freaks out thus jolting me from my dream with Adam Brody and Snoopy. Adam Brody and I were enjoying ourselves and snoopy was randomly barking in the background. Does snoopy bark?

5:30: My feet fall to the ground as heavy as weights. It was like pulling sandbags across my room with toothpicks forcing myself to the gym.

6:00-7:00 I shower (nothing exciting there) and get ready. It is important to mention that I actually straightened my hair which doesn't happen often.

7:00-7:20: "La roommate" and I bolt to work 

7:19: My memory juices decided to (semi) work inside my brain today and I remembered that I accidentally left the straightener on. because I never use it.

" F" We live 20 minutes South oneway, and I have a meeting in 20 minutes.

7:30: I desperately search and then find someone to cover my class 2nd period so I could bolt home and turn off the straightener. Confession: I am a slob at the moment. You cant see the floor in my room and my desk is a cluttered mess. I was afraid something was touching my straightener on accident and my house would be up in flames. 

9:15: I leave for the hike back home hoping to be back in time by 3rd period. 

About 15 minutes down the road I see a huge, thick, dark, black cloud of smoke over, what looks to be, possibly my neighborhood.

My first thoughts are "HOLY SMOKES! MY HOUSE IS ON FIRE!!!!!" My heart begins to beat faster and my palms begin to sweat. OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGGGGGGGGGG

As I get closer I realize it was most definitely an unfortunate house fire, one of the biggest I've seen....but not mine. PHEW! I began to wonder if multiple houses were on fire. So I said a little prayer and went on my way nervous about what I would find at my home.

9:37 ish: I am still on the highway and see a small plane flying super low. My initial thoughts are 

"Oh this must be a plane going to get an arial view of the house fire." "I bet this plane is going to go pour water on this house fire. How nice"

Little did I know....

9:42 I pull into my drive way, to find my adorably painted house intact and my STRAIGHTENER OFF.

I question my sanity, relieve my bladder and text my brother before returning the 25 minute drive the other direction. 

9:50 ish: I get back onto the highway and see a second plume of black smoke coming further west from the house fire.  I thought "oh no! something else is on fire! Strange to have two buildings so badly on fire" This second plume of smoke wasn't as thick as the house fire. It looked as though it just happened. 

11:03 I get in my car to go grab lunch and hear on the radio that a plane hit a building. Once I get back,  I turn on the t.v. in my classroom. Sure enough the house fire I had driven by was Joe Stack's house he had set on fire. The airplane I saw was Joe Stack flying to the IRS building. While I was inside my house relieving my bladder the plane hit the building and the second plume of smoke I saw was from the burning IRS building. 

Creepy and weird.
I can't believe more people were not injured

Capital City

Happy Tuesday!

Today is a beautiful  75 degrees day in Capital City.

Too bad I was inside making parent phone calls because their lovelies wanted to cheat on the hw. 

Now that I am off work....

To run at Town Lake?

or Happy Hour?

I'll let your curious little minds ponder on that decision.

Enjoy the fun Diana and I had yesterday on our date to the Capitol