The View From Here: What I Love About Austin

Shayla and I are coming to the end of our amazing collaboration soon, but we’ll pick it up again early next year.  These last two weeks are a bit more reflective.

Today’s question is: What Do You Love About Austin?

Oh, Austin, how I love thee.  Seriously, I have thought about this topic a lot lately.  I’m a Texas girl by birth, and I’ve only lived in two cities in my lifetime: San Antonio and Austin.  I guess I should expand my horizons, but, for me, moving to Austin from San Antonio was like traveling to the moon.

Austin is definitely its own little place in Texas that is unlike the rest of the state, and most people love it for that reason.  There’s the food (Torchy’s!), the music, the politics, the food, and the relaxed atmosphere you don’t find in most other cities here.  Oh, and did I mention the food?  Austin is a bigger metropolitan city, but it still has a small-town feel, and I really like that quality.  Depending on where you are in the city, you run into the same people over and over again, which makes it feel like home.

(Austin’s lovely Violet Crown.)

I moved here to be closer to Ryan back in 2001, and though we drove to San Antonio to get married, we’ve lived here ever since.  Our boys were born here,  and aside from my parents (who really should move here!), all of our family lives here now.  It’s home.

The weather is beautiful year-round, and though the summers are hot (and sometimes miserable), the rest of the time is lovely.  There are parks all over the place, festivals practically every weekend, and new restaurants opening daily, it seems.  In fact, Austin is currently experiencing a huge growth spurt as more businesses and people move to the area.

I love our little town just north of the city limits, and we still drive into Austin proper every week, too.  I think it’s a great place to raise children, and my boys will never be without something fun to do or some new place to visit.

If you’re in Austin, what are some of your favorite things?  Feel free to share in the comments.  And be sure to visit Shayla’s blog today as she shares her love for her tiny town.