just the essentials

A few nights ago I couldn't sleep because I was freaking myself out thinking about what I would need to pack for my trip. Not the clothes, but the toiletries. I was laying in bed thinking about all of the various creams and things that I use on a daily basis. Remember, I'm not just a yoga teacher, but I also work for a skincare company... I have a really complex daily routine that I'm pretty heavily invested in. I've decided that what I need to do is try to pare down my routine to the very basics, and see if I can get my hands on samples or travel sized minis to get me through this trip. My worst fear is to pack it all up and then lose it or break it. Although I suppose it would easy enough for me to head to the nearest Sephora or equivalent. Vanity is spoken all around the world.

A love letter to Austin, TX

Dear Austin,

I love you. I honestly love you. I moved here in 1995 with my best friend Kristin and together we moved in with another close friend Laura. We didn't live together for long, but we'd actually made plans to move to Austin back in 1990? 1991? We were kids, and also a bit angsty yet quirky. We would have been goth, except that makeup melts off of your face in south Texas. Anyway, we of course did that whole "ugh, when we get out of school we have to move to Austin to be free, man..." thing, and we actually did it.

The first day that we were here, I unpacked my car, and then went to Notorious Ed's underground piercing where I got my tongue pierced by Scott Ellis (Scott now owns Triple Crown Tattoo). After that, we drove around to see our new hometown....

Kristin and I had talked about stuff... which is what you do with someone you've known since before puberty. Yeah, we met in junior high, but I didn't actually hit puberty until I was 15 (and I started going grey when I was 20, how twisted). We had talked about how we'd move to New Orleans if Austin didn't work out, but I knew that weekend that I had found home. Something just clicked, and I knew it.

Over the past few years, I've only come close to moving twice. Once after a bad breakup I almost moved back home, but fortunately my friend Tami found me packing up and said "I refuse to let you turn around and go home, you hated it there. You're moving in with me and that's that." I owe that woman something big. Another time was about 6 years ago, with my partner Rich. We decided to stay in Austin so we could buy a house (the housing market in San Diego was INSANE). So yeah... Austin has a big spot in my heart.

There are so many things that I love about this city. I love that it can feel like a big city to me at times... SXSW is one of those times, as well as the Austin City Limits festival (which is going on as I type). I love the awesomely vibrant and diverse yoga community. I love how crafty and craft friendly this city is. One of things I love most about traveling is coming home. When I see the downtown skyline, I know I'm home. Thanks Austin for being here for me. I've met the most amazing people and been transformed by them. All the while, you were there giving them what they need too. You rule.

I've been thinking about this city a lot this month. I've given up on driving, even my scooter. I've been riding my bike and taking the bus everywhere, and while it might take a bit longer to get where I'm going, I do get there. I'm seeing things that I have missed over the past 14 years, and sometimes I'm seeing things I forgot and it's like seeing an old friend. I suppose I could have these observations anywhere, but the truth is that I love this city like no other place I've lived or visited.

I'm getting ready for a vacation in the spring. A whole month in Europe. It's weird, but I know that I'm going to miss my little house, and my job (I haven't gone more than 5 days without teaching a yoga class since 2002), and my pets, and my softball team, and the crazy bus folks too. But they'll all be here waiting when I get back, and I know it will feel so comforting to land. That's going to be awesome.

It takes time, and other things too, I'm sure...

I'm happy to say that I'm going to take a vacation in a few months. The last few vacations I've been on have been to San Diego or Los Angeles to visit friends; and they've always been in conjunction with my partner Rich's work conferences. They've been fun, but they haven't truly been a vacation. So when our friend Tyler told us that he wanted to go to Europe for his 40th birthday and wanted us to come along, we said yeah, why not?

That was over a year ago that he mentioned it, and we're not leaving for another 7 months, but it wasn't until last week that it really became real for us. We actually bought our tickets. We're flying out of Austin on May 1st and landing in Chicago where we will meet up with Tyler. From Chicago we are flying to Brussels and staying there for just a day. After that we begin our tour of Europe... we'll be all over the place. For a month.

So yeah... I've never been to Europe before and I don't even really know how to plan a vacation of this magnitude. I'm kinda making a list, and it so far looks like this: save money. get passport. save more money. think about lodging. save a little more money. pack some clothes. save money. find a house sitter. do something with money or something...

This is pretty much how I like to handle things though... I want to make sure that I have things in place when we leave to take care of the house, I want to be sure we have safe places to stay on our trip, and I want to be sure that I have enough money saved up to be able to pay bills when we get back as well as enjoy ourselves a whole lot during this trip. I'm pretty sure I can make it happen... this is going to be a learning experience.