Moving to a new city has obstacles. These range from loneliness to confusion as you drive around a strange city to flat out being overwhelmed.
I’ve felt all these things as I try and maneuver my way around Austin. I’ve also had a few new bumps in the road. One literally felt like a bump in the road, but it was in fact a blown tire. Apparently my tires had dry rot. Four new tires for me, please.
Next I was foolishly trying to embrace the Austin tradition of bike riding. I hopped on my housemate’s bike at 8 pm (I tell you this so you know it was dark) only to realize the little lights didn’t work on it. Helpful. But I’m riding on well lit streets, I’m sure it’ll all be good. But then I made another rookie mistake. I got hot from all that huffing and puffing of inexperienced uphill biking, which is even more difficult when you’re not exactly sure when you’re going, and I took off my jacket and tossed it in the basket behind me. After finally arriving at my destination, having turned around twice, I realized that somewhere along my path an awesome black REI fleece jacket that I’ve had for three years was left lying in the road. This fantastic jacket kept me warm through my long walks in Scottish winds and tramping through New Zealand snows. It also had $2 and a knit hat in the pocket. Distressing.
I have often heard superstitious people say things happen in threes. I hope this is true. For just a few days ago I dropped my phone in a cup of tea. Now my phone sits in a Tupperware of rice beside me, working only partially but I hope for a full recovery. I’m not eligible for an upgrade until September. I’ve also been told to dry it with a hair dryer or bake it in my oven on low. Despite my skepticism, I’m open to these possibilities.
But as a Deep Fried Cheesesteaks girl once said, “If it’s dead, you might as well bake it.”
Other suggestions welcome.
Seeking Misadventure 