Texas, I'm Home

I'm in Texas! It's so good to be here with the warm Texas sun and dry climate. I arrived in San Antonio yesterday afternoon just after 4pm. Right away I hopped on a city bus that took me downtown to the Greyhound Station on N. St. Mary's St. I was scheduled to ride the Greyhound at 7:20pm to Austin, just about 70 to 80 miles north. I was 2 hours early, so in the meantime, I walked over to the Alamo and even checked out a bit of the Riverwalk. Town was packed with tourists and lots of families with little kids. The atmosphere was just so delightful, especially since the outdoor temperature was so enjoyable.

At 7:20pm I hopped on the bus and made the trip up to Austin. My friends Hannah and Valerie, friends from Valparaiso, live in Austin now and I couldn't stand the thought of coming all this way to Texas without visiting them. The Greyhound experience was epic. The sun was slowly setting off into the horizon and I was listening to Sam Middlebrook (a Texan) as the miles slowly drifted by. For a moment it made me feel like I was time traveling back in time to the 50's, when traveling by bus was more of a common thing to do for a man my age. I wish I could listen to some of the stories from someone who has seen the country by bus. It must have been amazing.

I pulled in to Austin at about 9:45pm and my friends met me at the station. It was so good to see them. It had been over 9 months since the last time we had hung out. Even though it was late, we went out to Thunderbird Coffee, a local coffee shop, to chat for a bit. Hannah and Valerie are regular customers there and they are friends with nearly all of the employees. I felt like I was home in Bellingham or Seattle with the feel and the art, just like home.

I think I really like Texas.