So, my family just got back from a whirlwind road trip to Austin, Texas.
We left on Thursday afternoon and got back Sunday evening. This is a 14 hour drive, mind you. One way!!! Aagh! Our patooties were in that truck for a looong time. Our mission was to scout out a college that my daughter is wanting to attend, Austin Bible College. We had an appointment to meet with the Dean to discuss the program. We found out that she can complete the entire Bachelor's program ONLINE! Yippee!!! We originally thought she'd have to move to Austin, at least for the first semester, which was a little scary. Or maybe a lot scary. We then ventured out into downtown Austin to cruise the city.
It is a bigger city than I had pictured in my mind...bumper to bumper traffic, crazy one way streets, bikers darting every which way, college students galore...but there were also some quirky little eateries, little holes in the wall I imagine the college crowd frequents regularly.
And a beautiful place to walk/jog, bike, kayak and paddle board called Ladybird Lake. We ate a little Italian restaurant, North, which was delicious, despite the fact that I am currently doing the Whole30 eating plan so my food had to be compliant to the plan (more on the Whole30 eating to come- let me just say, DON'T start this plan if you plan on road tripping within the 30 day timeframe- not fun). Then headed to our hotel for some rest before leaving out the next morning headed to...N'awlins! The next day we spent traveling and made it to New Orleans around 7:30 pm ready to hit the streets of the Big Easy. We walked around for a little bit then made our way to Cafe Du Monde to indulge in some sweet bites of deliciousness...beignets. 😋
After devouring our goodies, we strolled down the Riverwalk back to our hotel for a late dinner before hitting the sack.
The next morning, we set our sights on home. A long day of travel, but happy to be headed back.
What I took away from this trip was a surprising revelation into my inner self. I am a small town girl at heart...what!?! Yep, I've always thought I'd love the big city life, the glitz and glamour, the business, the access to any store or restaurant of my desire. But what I realized is that I'm just a simple girl that treasures my family and the small things in life. I may be a big dreamer, but my heart will always be rooted in small town America. I told my hubby I might even like the farm life with a garden, a de chickens, goats and cows. He just looked at me with that "what has she dreamed up now" face. Lol! We shall see what the future holds...
