So Austin Texas was a great city and I intend on going back. There is a Chick-filt-a and a Whataburger on every corner, the weirdest street names I have ever seen, and cowboy boots galore.
Thursday night, I headed downtown with my friends. I was so nervous I was not going to fit in with my LA clothes and shoes, etc... but it was quiet the opposite. Downtown is the mecca of college kids in Austin on a Thursday night, and kind of reminds me of Main street Santa Monica. The coolest part is that 6th street in downtown gets its streets blocked off so the people walking around can stay safe and have a cool going out environment that is kind of private from the rest of Austin. It is like a giant street fair, just every week. The drinks are typical, just a lot cheaper than LA, and the company was great. Everybody in Austin just sort of loves each other, which is so refreshing from people in LA who I feel just judge one another. And there wasn't an overload of country music, which was my immediate fear. Just regular old kids having fun, so I felt right at home.
Friday I got BBQ with my Great Uncle Eddie at the famous Rudy's. I had wanted to go to the Saltlick, but my Uncle Eddie insisted we try Rudy's. I should have listened to him in the first place because the food was INCREDIBLE. If you ever go, and do not try the Moist Brisket, you are just... doing yourself a disservice. The coolest part about Rudy's was the way they treat you on your first time there. Not only do they have great customer service, they insist you try a little bit of everything. So there I was, at the counter, with little morsels of all their meats, and some creamed corn in front of me, testing everything before I made a decision. My Uncle Eddie, being the smart man he is, told me to get the moist brisket, but I had to try everything just in case. And guess what I wound up with... the moist brisket! Second on my list would have been the smoked turkey which was insanely juicy. We also grabbed some banana puddings and potato salad. Oh, and let's not forget, they give you a stack of good old white bread so you can make your own sandwiches. Divine.
And just in case you feel like eating like a king at home, you can buy Rudy's BBQ sauce which has made them famous. It is really good sauce. I am kind of wondering whether I can buy it online and bring it to my next tailgate.
Doing the Wobble
Friday night was a real treat. My friend Charlie promised me he would take me 2 Stepping when I got to Austin and he made good on his promise. We went to the Midnight Rodeo with his roommates and friends and it was like I was stepping into a movie. Every girl was beautiful, in her jeans that had a sparkly belt, cowboy boots, and her hair down. And every man looked like a stud with button downs tucked into their jeans, cowboys boots, and a hat. Live music was playing and you could just see all these people, younger than me or my age, just go up to one another and ask for a dance. I think the last time someone pulled me onto a dance floor and waltzed with me to a slow song was during Cotillion when I was 10. And nothing was expected of the dance. The awkward "can I have your phone number because we may have made a small connection" conversation after. It was just lovely people, having a good time, and dancing. It was exhilarating because I have never been around people that just, have so much class and grace while having such a good time. My friends kept trying to make me dance, which I eventually did, but I stared at the dance floor for about a good hour just enjoying myself. It was so beautiful. The evening had live music, which I believe I mentioned. For the encore, however, the band played a song to a pretty lady... only to have her boyfriend come out and propose to her on stage in front of everyone. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. And my first live proposal! Austin-ites, y'all just love each other!
Finally, I learned to 2 Step. And I wasn't half bad. Granted, I was not doing crazy flips and what not, but I had the step down and I was twirling along the dance floor. Two things I didn't do... One, line dance. The DJ put a line-dancing song on and instantly, everyone knew to line up. My friend Lee will be super mad at me if he finds out I didn't try this. The weekend before in Las Vegas he tried to teach me to line dance... JUST in case. Back to my point... It was really cool to see everyone just know what to do and dance together. But the real treat came when they put on a song called The Wobble Song which I had never heard. Its a hip hop song that people in Austin somehow kind of line dance hope hop dance to. It was really cool to watch everyone do it. My friend took a video of it, so when I see it, I will post it. But for now, here is the song's music video.
Saturday was a cool experience in its own. Charlie plays semi-pro football so I traveled with him and his roommate to a small town to watch a game. It is honestly insane to me how serious some people take this league. The opposing team was selling merchandise! This isn't college, its not high school, its... just Texas football. It was really cool to be there and see that though. I am always down for some good sports games, and this was no exception. Oh and Charlie's team won by 40 points. Sunday was just a lot of sightseeing. Got to see a cool view of the skyline, saw the springs, the capitol... everything cheesy. And then I was off back home. My flight left right at kickoff during the Superbowl, but it was really cool because Jetblue streams live TV. I wasn't particularly cheering for anyone, but I kind of like the underdog.
Austin Texas, you go on my list of favorite cities. If you ever have the chance to visit, I suggest you do. Just promise me one thing, go dancing. Or two things... Eat BBQ :)
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