One Last American Road Trip

Happy happy belated 2009 to everyone! I trust the frigid, bone chilling, freeze your face Wisconsin weather currently outside my window is treating you all just as kindly. It's less than five days before the oh so wondrous India adventure begins and the current 75 degree weather of Jaipur never sounded so good. Even as I write this, I'm still in complete disbelief that I'm leaving the continent, my goodness even the hemisphere, on Sunday (although that may just be because a place that has 75 degree weather and sun every day in January sounds too good to be true!).

I welcomed in the New Year down in Milwaukee with the lovely boyfriend Nathan and other friends at the most eclectic, yet fully Wisconsin, concert I have ever been to. The program included a polka band comprised of 80 year old men in short pants and flowered shirts who played the "Chicken Dance" (which I have recently learned is not really as large of a phenomena around the rest of the country as those in Wisconsin make it out to be) and other sing-a-long masterpieces such as "Roll Out the Barrel" and the literary magnum opus of "She's Too Fat For Me", a lady who synchronize danced with her dog in a tutu, an Elvis impersonator, and, of course, the headline band Cake. All in all, it was a wonderful night where I was surrounded with people I love and people I don't really love but couldn't help but smile at as they waved their mock plastic beersteins and ate giant pretzels.

After recovering from being smacked in the face with a little too much only-in-Wisconsin culture, Nathan, Tom, and I embarked on our cross country journey ending in Austin, Texas. We did the drive in under 20 hours of straight, energy drink filled power driving and opened the car doors to 70 degree weather and beautiful blue skies.

Nathan and Tom

Nathan and I

Much like Wisconsin, Austin has a very distinct culture that is different from anything I've seen. It stands as a liberal oasis in the red sea of Texas and has a large, thriving music scene which includes a lot of alternative, indie, and pop rock. We soaked up the sunlight, toured the University of Texas campus, ate delicious food at outdoor cafes, enjoyed all the wonderful retro looking signs, buildings, and trailers (including a cupcake stand with AMAZING carrot cake cupcakes), went kayaking, and tested out guitar after guitar after guitar at all the vintage music shops and pawn stores.

One of the many wonderful music stores

We purchased used CDs and enjoyed outdoor picnics in short sleeves.

Nathan and I having a picnic in the park

Me in front of a Koi pond at the botanical gardens

And of course took in lots of great musical performances while dreaming of one day playing for that many people.

Texas sunset on our drive back to Wisconsin

The subletters have moved into my room in the Pink House and the last of my furniture has made its way down two flights of spiral stairs to the basement. I've said a lot of very tearful goodbyes and been given many hugs and encouragement. My life right now in Stevens Point is full of anticipation, sadness, joy, loneliness, and the gigantic feat of trying to fit my entire life into one bag of luggage. Thank you so much to all of those who've given me extra moral support this last week (and the rest of my life, my goodness!). I love you all dearly. Yes yes!