Austin: One Year Real Talk

Today marks one year that I packed up, scanned my one-way ticket, and moved to Austin to be with my husband on this new adventure in his career. It has been a roller coaster for sure. I feel like everyone (a lot of the time) tries to portray their perfect life. And y'all, I will be the first to compare myself to others.

Comparison is the thief of joy.  -Theodore Roosevelt

"They have their families close."
"They haven't ever had to move."
"Look, they are all getting together to hang out. We're missing out."
"Ugh, they get to experience this cooler weather and it's still flipping 90 degrees here!!"

With moving away from your family & friends, I have found myself bitter & sad sometimes. REAL TALK folks. I am NOT sugar coating it. I have felt bitter that I have had to even move. I have felt bitter that in order to see my family or friends, I have to pay $500 or more just to fly home. By the way...that's only one ticket. Brian and I are always traveling together if we are headed back East so you do the math. I have cried BIG alligator tears when my friends/family had to leave after their visit because the apartment was too quiet. Or when I was leaving them. When your momma cries in front of you because you have to fly back to Texas...oh man. Gosh, I have a lump in my throat just thinking about it.

However, through this first year we have gotten a lot stronger (mentally, emotionally, & physically). I am so thankful for a job that took a chance on me to work from home. I NEVER had to worry about finding a job in the midst of an emotional move. My husband is gaining valuable experience through his job that will set us up so well for the future. We have met AWESOME neighbors who honestly I believe would give us the shirt off their back if we needed it. And their boys...they have been such a light for me and make us laugh when we can't see our friends' babies as much as we'd like. (And yes, Dana, Rachel, Lauren and Kath, no matter their age...they are babies to me.)

And Austin (despite the traffic) isn't all that bad. They have GREAT barbeque. I have learned to LOVE breakfast tacos. Their Tex Mex is the real deal. When you buy something in the grocery store and it says spicy....it IS spicy. Oh and the grocery stores....if you want to make a Mexican dish, you can guarantee that your grocery store has what ever random Mexican ingredient that you need. Oh, and I got to go and see the Silos in Waco which I for sure never would have done if we weren't living here. And most importantly, this little space of the web that we call The Dainty Details, would not have been born.

All in all, at the end of the day, I am thankful. Not everything is easy. Not everything is rainbows and flowers & that goes for anything. For those that get a chance to do something like this, I would say do it. That doesn't mean that I don't want to come back East...I do. It has totally grown Brian and I in our relationship. It has gotten us out of being "comfortable." It has challenged us. It has made us look forward to visits here with family/friends or going back East when we otherwise would have taken it for granted. It is truly a treat. But when we do move back, I will miss parts of Austin/Texas living.

#TexasForever

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xoxo,
Haley

August is here!

Happy Monday friends! Just like that the month of August is upon us. I swear this summer is FLYING by. This month will be busy since I have a work trip at the end of the month along with my half marathon the day before my birthday. Last month of training will be crucial.

Today I thought I'd share with y'all some of my & my husband's favorite things to do around Austin since we have been here. There is still SO much to do so this is just a small sample!

I feel like the first thing people have asked us about what to do in Austin, I always resort to first asking, "Do you like brunch?" Um who doesn't? And then I tell them, go to Rainey Street and eat at Banger's. Banger's has an awesome brunch with so many tasty items, and I would be remiss not to mention how you NEED to get a man-mosa. If you don't know, just trust me on this one. Just ask my girlfriends if they enjoyed. ;) Oh, be sure to get a brat with kraut to start. They are delicious.

Secondly, you need to walk the river walk at Lady Bird Lake (aka Town Lake). It has awesome views of the city skyline and you can go pretty far. There are always lots of dogs, runners, walkers, bikers, tourists, etc. 

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If you're looking for boots, be sure to hit up Allen's on South Congress. They have a huge selection and the boots are authentic. Cowboy boots are an investment piece; I can attest. But they had the best selection; hats too!! Check them out and be sure to check out all the other cool spots up and down South Congress. 

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Looking for something a little different? Check out The Whip In. This is probably one of my husband's favorite places. They are an Indian Fusion restaurant with a great bar/restaurant (craft beer & LOTS of wine) + small grocery. I have been introduced to 2 different wines there based on the recommendation of the bartender. They did not disappoint. They also have a slightly covered back patio with misting fans which is clutch in the TX heat.

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Another great watering hole would have to be Jester King Brewery (& also a husband favorite) in the Hill Country. It is an awesome place. Their beers are very interesting & they use wild grown yeast. There are huge oaks around the property as well as an onsite pizza place that is FABULOUS! We'll be taking our friends Lauren & Daniel, in September, when they visit.

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And lastly, if hiking is your thing, hit up Bull Creek District Park. It is the coolest place where the riverbed is limestone & the water has a greenish/blue hue. It is beautiful. We took Gopher one of the first weekends we were here and had a blast. 

 

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Hope y'all enjoyed this & if you're ever in Austin, be sure to hit us up!!

xoxo,

Haley