October is approaching, and as we’re easing into fall, I realized the year is over halfway over. That led me to thinking about New Year’s (my favorite holiday) and resolutions. I purposely didn’t make any resolutions this year, just a bucket list of places I would like to visit. Since January, I’ve done a pretty good job of crossing off places on the list. But just as I cross off one place, I get inspired or invited to visit another. One of the perks of having friends who are just as glomadic as I am.

Great joint for brunch. I had an iced coffee that was the perfect retreat from the austin heat.

I finally made my way out to Texas to visit a friend in Houston and take a mini roadtrip to Austin. I’d been curious about seeing Austin for a while. A lot of people from Gainesville (Florida) had migrated out to this Southern city known for its booming music scene (SXSW anyone?) and culinary delights (including food trucks, everywhere). After a year in Europe, I couldn’t help but indulge in tacos and chips and salsa, especially from stands at 3am. They seemed trustworthy, right?

I could eat the tacos here all day.

Austin had that college town vibe I loved at the University of Florida, but on a much larger scale. The city is dominated downtown by 20 and 30-somethings full of creative energy transforming the town into something really special. After a weekend of music, paddleboarding, and sampling of Austin’s restaurants, including dinner at Uchi and brunch at Hillside Farmacy, I started thinking about my bucketlist and other places I wanted to visit this year. Who says you can’t make fall resolutions? Next stop is Denver, to visit some old and new friends.