Our 1st Year in Austin: Part III – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- At May 12, 2015
- By Morgan Reid
- In Austin, Reflections, Updates
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Part I was about missing Ohio, and Part II talked about why we chose Texas. My entire blog catalogs our past year in Austin, Tx, but this post is a quick snapshot into what Austin has to offer: the good, the bad, and the ugly. *Spoiler Alert!: I thank Nathan about once a week for leading us here.*
THE GOOD:
- All this sunshine is amazing! Seriously, those grey Ohio days really wear on a girl.
- For 20-some years, winter meant freezing temps, tons of snow, heating up and shoveling off my car, praying I won’t get in an accident because I can’t see the road and can’t tell where the ditch is. Now, it’s a medley of 3 weeks of gloomy scarf/glove weather, a few days of warm sunny days, and so on, for about 3 and half months. It’s fun to be cold and dress in comforting fabrics for a while, and then get a 70 degree day for my January birthday : )
- Continuing on with the weather theme: time spent outside doesn’t plummet for half the year. I don’t have to bundle Autumn up in snow pants just to go outside. Golden.
- We still have an autumn! My favorite season abounds! I was truly worried about this one.
- Nathan’s been able to practice and gain skills at BAM Academy and I’m doing the same with needle work at StichLabz.
- There’s a chance of having an avocado tree without moving to South America!
- Wildflowers everywhere. Vibrant, amazing colors that I swear change once every other month to a new set of colors and flowers. Not at all what I pictured when I thought of Texas before moving here.
- No state income tax!! 😀 Taxed on what you buy, not on what you earn. *Catch up, America!*
- Unlimited conferences and meet-ups. As I type this*, Nate’s at Paleo FX with Mark Sisson, Rob Wolf, and Chris Kresser. Austin’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird” – there’s a huge variety of people so chances are there’s a group of people getting together for what you’re into.
Nathan with Mark Sisson from Marks Daily Apple!
- We try to limit doctor appointments and hospital visits, but there are some great people and facilities that share our approach to working naturally with the body. Including Dr. Amy (who does Skype calls, if you’re reading this but far from Austin) and neurosomatic therapist Aleks.
- One of the major complaints people have against the south in general is the “heat” but it’s not any worse than hot Ohio days. Actually, it’s better because it’s not humid and sticky. Our 1st apartment had windows on both sides, offering a great breeze – I didn’t even touch the AC until late August-September.
- Nate and I have in common is trying out different foods and flavors. From high-end restaurants (not that we’ve been) to food trucks, to genuine hole-in-the-wall places, Austin’s got it all.
Lick’s “Honest Ice Cream” – made with awesome and local Mil-King milk! They were featured on an episode of House Hunters on HGTV.
- It’s an active city, lots of hiking, biking, kayaking, running.
- IKEA!
- The most gorgeous, enchanted looking trees I have ever seen. They’re captivating and so much fun to play on : )
- Moving to Austin gave us breathing room and created space for us to grow as people. We get to participate in groups where we feel supported, build on each other’s ideas, and dream together.
- Incredible views: hills, caverns, rivers, sunsets. Seriously, the biggest sky I’ve ever seen. And the storms! Take-your-breath-away storms.
- Very family friendly with a lot of activities: tomorrow* Austin celebrates Eeyore’s birthday. Different festivals are held every weekend for most of the year (last weekend there was a Reggae one). There’s also a huge music and night-life scene, but Nate and I aren’t really into that so we’ve not experienced it.
- Grocery stores that carry alternative, traditional foods that were out of reach in Ohio. From gluten-free, to sprouted, to kelp noodles! I had to remove dairy from my diet for a few months while breastfeeding Autumn, – so many options. (Thai Fresh’s coconut ice cream. You’re so welcome. Trust me.)
“Paleo,” “Raw,” and Autumn trying to get Nate to open something before checkout.
- Natural springs to swim in that don’t have chlorine and aren’t Lake Erie (fun to swim in growing up but . . . yikes. Who knows what’s in that lake).
- Texas is currently the 2nd state leading the nation in interracial marriages! That *shocked* me when I found out. Texas?!
- We haven’t been able to garden yet, but the notion that we could have fresh produce year-round and not have to do any canning (seriously, dreadful) is a total score.
I’ll be real though, there are downsides.
THE BAD:
- The traffic – UGH. We’re homebodies and Nate works from home, so as long as we avoid rush hour it’s not too bad, but if there’s an accident or road closure – heaven help me.
- The bugs are HUGE. Not all of them but wowzers. My mama friend Caitlin C. refers to them as “prehistoric” haha!
- Fire ants 🙁 super big frowny face. Reading online from Ohio, it appeared that they were everywhere in the south, but there were natural ways to manage them or even get rid of them. However, since being here, I’ve been in parks and yards without a trace of them. It seems like the lawns that are highly manicured and treated with toxic chemicals have the most problems.
- The housing market is FIERCE (it’s ok to cry).
- Very poor public transit. We originally hoped we could be car-free and just ride bikes, walk, or take the bus everywhere. Not a chance (it’s doable, and there are car services, but it’s not for us). However, I’ve heard that this and the traffic is because the hippies didn’t want to lose any trees – so I’m OK with that. : )
- No mountains. I’d love a mountain view from my backyard. That’s not an Ohio thing, but still.
- Texas soils require special consideration for foundations – so there aren’t a lot of basements here. That’s rough for me (“BUT WHAT ABOUT TORNADOES?!”).
- Piggy-backing on my last point: root cellars aren’t really a thing here either (*for shame!*) Seriously? Gathering the harvest, preserving it’s bounty, storing it up in the
root cellarbasement— See? Major fantasy killer.
THE UGLY:
- Missing my friends and family.We’re still building community, and friendships like that take time. That comes with any move though, so not really Austin specific, but it plays into our reality for now.
- Big city prices – like rent. Generally, when you move to a city with higher prices, they have higher incomes as well. So if you find a job that allows for a healthy budget, it’s tit-for-tat.
- What is up with the libraries here?! There are a ton, and that’s awesome – but the way they file the fiction section *feels* UGLY. Back in Stow, Ohio, I could head straight to the Amish section, Nate could make a B-line over to Fantasy – now all the fiction is bunched together. (Why, Austin, WHY?!)
The BEST:
- Nathan and I are thrilled to live here. For all the reasons I’ve written about – it’s been really good for us. After what felt like a 3-year honeymoon, we hit a low point last July (moves, an infant, and a heavy work load took a toll) but God walked with us and we are in such a great place – as people and as spouses.
- I’ve made so many like-minded mama friends! After struggling for a few years trying to find others who were interested in the things we’re into, I questioned if I’d ever experience a community like this. We’ve created a tribe of amazing women who help each other through highs and lows. They’re passionate, caring, aware, hilarious and I’m unbelievably grateful for their friendship.
- I feel like I’ve become way more myself: Like my pendulum is finally finding it’s center and I’m blossoming. Austin has been the catalyst in getting me to make healthy changes for myself: mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, as a woman, mother, wife, friend, and person – all the reasons I started this blog. I don’t think location matters too much in growing closer to God – He transcends boundaries. However, I do feel like there’s been more clarity in my spirituality since embarking on these healthy changes and really seeking to own my life.**
Concluding Thoughts: I wanted to document this past year so that I could review it in the future. It’s important for me to build altars that help remind me of all God’s done: He’s left me in awe of how much He knows me, cares for me, and prepares my path. Life isn’t perfect, I’ve had low days and lower moments, but He walks with me and makes my path straight. I still can’t believe the ways God has stepped in and steered my life in a direction I never imagined going – and what a blessing that’s been.
There’s no way to know what the future holds but even considering the good, bad, and ugly I’m happy to be living here with my little family, the warm sunshine, and my loving Father. In concluding this series, I can definitely say that I’m we took the risk.
“I’m not afraid to fall
and here I told you so.
Don’t want to rock the boat
but I just had to know:
Just a greener side
or can I touch the sky?
but either way I will have tried.”
-Superchic[k], Get Up
Morgan (loves to) Reid
* This post was originally written on April 24th.
**If you’re reading this and in a hard season, please see past the pull of our society that wants you to just “buck up.” Seeing Dr. Amy (point #8) really helped me push past depression and illogical mental tracks that kept playing in my head. Give yourself grace and ask God to lead you to the resources you need: sometimes that’s an amazing sunset, sometimes that’s professional help – there’s no shame in either.
I’m hoping that some of my friends and family will want to come out and visit one day, *hint*wink*poke* so I like talking Austin up. Just in case this post didn’t do the trick,
Here’s what some of my friends would add:
“I love Austin! Just the spirit of Austin! All the things you can do…” – Susanne S.
“. . . climate that allows us to be outdoors year-round, accepting, non-judgmental culture.” – Meg S.
“We love the unique culture, both professionally and personally of Austin. . . the emphasis and appreciation for art and music. Austin really has that “small town”/community vibe, and it’s so cool to see the population of Austin as a whole really prioritizing supporting local businesses, locally grown food, etc.” – Lindsey J.
“Favorite? The food. Hands down. Best I’ve had in the country. Least: it’s a small city and it’s lacking many big city things. Museums, aquariums, etc. if you grow up in San Francisco, you get spoiled. ” Rachel H.
“The diversity and acceptance – people from all walks of life come together in Austin to create community in a really beautiful way.” – Jessie B.
Here’s what BuzzFeed would say:
101 Reasons You Should Live In Texas At Least Once In Your Life
25 Reasons You Should Never Visit Texas – my favorite!
42 Reasons Living In Austin Ruins You For Life
