Visiting My College Friends in Austin, TX
Now, before I begin this post, I want to acknowledge that yes, I am aware I am actually still young with 29 years under my belt. So for all the people who are older than me and are rolling their eyes at this title, I see you, and I understand. But shoo, I'm still older than 19 or 21, so leave me alone! lol
"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." - Andy Bernard
I'm pretty sure I've used this quote before, but it's one of my favorites. This quote from The Office always stuck with me, probably because it was quite profound compared to the usual jokes written for this comedy show. As I get older, I often find myself reminiscing about the good old days, or my "glory days". It's funny, I used to tease my dad about talking about his college years at Harvard too much, but now I find myself doing the same thing.
When I think of my glory days, my college years at the University of North Texas come to mind. Yes, college was stressful with classes, and essays, and boy drama, but it was also a time where I was the most creative. I took risks, and I was fearless in my various endeavors. I was a dreamer, and so ready to go out into the world to make my impact. Now, as an adult, and after life's slapped me across the face a couple times, I've been craving the feeling my college years gave me. I could use a boost of creativity, fearlessness, and aspiration. So, while planning my trip to New York for the Tribeca Film Festival, I decided to take a self-care pitstop to Austin, TX to visit some of my college friends.
For some reason, when you get older, life makes it feel like you can no longer have fun, or be carefree. I mean, how can you with all these bills to pay, decisions to make, potential spouses to find, or biological time clocks telling you to either settle down, or sit down. (God I miss the days when my back didn't randomly hurt, and I could jump out of bed without needing to stretch after.) It can all be so overwhelming, but as I continue my quest to create better moments for myself, I'm discovering how important play is for adults. When you think of the word 'play', you think of children or puppies, and how it helps develop their physical, social, and cognitive skills.
However, play is still important for adults! It helps us stay imaginative, and actually helps our problem-solving skills and overall emotional well-being. We weren't meant to just grow up and become dejected as we work our lives away. We, too, need to play and have fun! That's why my trip to Austin consisted of board game nights, park hangs, and dancing the night away with friends.
I stayed with my college bestie Theo (they/them), who has a plethora of board games, some I've never even heard of! We would play a game almost every night, and I ended my trip with a final game night with all my friends. We played Azul, Bananagrams, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, May Cause Side Effects, and my new personal favorite, Catan! Call it beginner's luck, but I won Catan twice, and I will definitely be adding this to my arsenal of games I know I'm good at. lol When was the last time you've played a board game as an adult? I love board games, because they have a way of bringing people together, and they truly keep you in the moment.
Nowadays, with our smartphones distracting us 24/7, it's special when I get to put my phone down and be in the moment, smack-talking, and being competitive with friends. Board games are also near and dear to my heart because my mom loved playing board games, too. One of my last moments spent with my mom was playing board games last February, on the final night of my trip to Dallas.
Staying on theme of incorporating play as an adult, and feeling young again, Theo and I also had a Besties Park Day! It was so windy that we decided to fly a kite! I literally haven't flown a kite in years, maybe decades! And honestly, I still barely have lol 'cause the moment we got to Zilker Park, the wind decided to be fickle, and that kite hardly left the ground. Even though flying our Spider-Man kite was a bit of a fail, we had so much fun flailing around like children, trying to get that bad boy in the air. We had to take a break, of course, because that Texas heat and 29-year-old joints weren't having it, but it was also lovely just chilling in the shade of a beautiful tree, being present with my best friend. And the fun didn't stop there!
After the rest of the gang finished work for the day, we went to Tuezgayz at Barbarella to dance the night away. Let me tell you, that place was POPPIN'! It's like 2 bars/night-clubs connected together by an outdoor area which also has it's own bar and DJ. It was PACKED since this was the first Tuesday of pride month, so everyone was ready to turn up at Tuezgayz. We pregamed at Theo's, so by the time we got there we were ready to dance! It literally felt like we were back in Denton, TX, getting ready to turn up on Fry Street! (If you went to UNT, you know exactly what I'm talking about!)
I had SO much fun! It's been a minute since I've been out dancing with my friends all night! This place opened at 10pm, and I'm usually in bed by 11pm, lol so spending the night dancing with my old college gang was a treat! I'm beginning to notice a pattern. All these moments required my full attention, and kept me in the present, which is what this blog is all about! I remember in my euphoric daze, as we were dancing on the stage, just taking everything in: the energy and freedom of self expression at this place, the smiles and joy radiating off my friends faces, the blue, and pink, and purple lights illuminating the dance floor. It was beautiful, and truly an amazing moment to be in.
The rest of my trip was spent just resting and hanging with friends who were off work. Theo and I decided to rewatch all the High School Musical movies, and Cristina and I saw Furiosa in a 4D theater! If you don't know what that is, it's when the seat in the theater are connected to these machines that move you with the action happening in the movie! It also sprayed air and water at you to really make you feel like you're there. I've only experienced 4D cinema at amusement parks, so this also made me feel like a kid again! Plus, Furiosa was the perfect movie for 4D! Lol we were flying in the air, on the motorcycles and monster trucks with them, felt the bullets fly past our face, I loved it!
I also took full advantage of being in Austin, and ate some delicious barbecue while I was there, along with some Cajun hot wings, and Kerbey Lane's signature Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes! This trip truly was exactly what I needed, a taste of home, some rest, and fun times with friends I've missed. It was also quite healing for all of us. If this trip taught me anything, it's that we truly are all in this together. (Haha what?! I just rewatched the HSM movies, of course I'm gonna quote it!)
If you're in your mid to late 20s, and you're feeling unsure of your career choices, or consistently on a budget to try to save money, or have clear goals, but still feel lost because the steps towards them are so unclear, guess what? SAME! Hanging with my friends helped us all realized we all felt the same way. Adulthood is HARD, especially while trying to bounce back from a global pandemic, and combat our failing economy. For those who can afford the white picket fence and 2.5 children already, great for you! But a lot of us, especially those who chose creative careers, are still trying to figure out life and our goals-- which can get overwhelming and cause a bit of depression to sneak in.
I thought I was going to Austin for my own much needed break from reality, but it turns out my friends needed the same thing. We all needed a break from adulthood to feel young again, and to feel like we did when we were exuberant and ambitious college kids. So, if you're also a young adult feeling the weight of adulthood, remember it's ok to take a break. In fact, you need to, because a bit of play and rest will help you in the long run. You are not alone, and it's OK to still be figuring it out. I know I am. As I always say in these posts, give yourself some grace. (Wow, my mom's name was Grace, and I've been writing about grace for months... that just hit me real deep in my soul.)
But yea, if you want to bop bop bop to the top, reach out to your friends, plan a trip, and add a bit of play back in your life. (Lol OK, I promise I'm done with the HSM puns! hehe)
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