Do you think Austin, Texas is just a dusty cowboy town? You might be pleasantly surprised to see how green and full of beauty it is!
Austin, Texas, ate my homework and expectations. Just WOW! was originally published on Up Up and A Bear by our very own IBA member Hung Thai. Thanks for sharing with us!
My friend Johnny once told me he doesn’t travel because he could see the world through pictures I posted online. He was partly right. The technology evolution has allowed unprecedented data production and sharing. I would even argue that every corner of the world has been photographed and those pictures are available somewhere in cyber space – you just need to find them. Furthermore, the infinite number of videos now allows anyone with access to not only see but also hear the world. So it stands that no one really needs to leave the comfort of her home to “travel.”
Here’s the issue: you can only experience what the content creators choose to show you, which is often an idealized snippet of time and space – a static spatial representation of life.
So what might Johnny be missing?
The bumpy train ride I shared with 4 elderly Japanese ladies whose lively conversation brought hope to my impending old age; the smell of incense and smoke playfully dancing in the wind; the soothing sound of bamboo rustling from the light breeze; the warmth of the morning rays breaking through the menacing sky; the feeling of utter joy biting into a lightly seasoned rice ball; the transformation that happened within; the myths dispelled; the labels disintegrated; the fear faced and conquered; the new memories made; the old thinking reimagined; and though I can capture and explain one or more of these things, I can’t capture and explain them all… nor do I want to; because, honestly, Johnny wouldn’t understand and it’ll waste my breath and time. Also, I’m a professional lazy person.
Why am I telling you this? Because Austin is awesome.
Wait… what? See how lazy I am? I spent zero time and effort developing a sensible transition. The end.
New beginning: so I was in Austin last week and the oddest thing happened – I left with a very different understanding of this beautiful place than when I arrived. This stupid transformational thing seems to plague me wherever I go! Before experiencing Austin for myself, I thought it a typical everything-is-bigger-in-Texas-ranch-dust-cowboys-gun-tooting-Southern-charm-horses-horseshoes-saddle-dust-brown-fox-jumped-over-the-fence-kinda-place-with-a-lot-of-dust. Boy was I wrong! I had a most wonderful time frolicking amongst the wildflowers, swimming in waterholes so beautiful I dared not pee in them, and meeting people who left an everlasting imprint on my very soul. And as previously stated, I can’t explain it all and I don’t really want to. So here are some pictures to showcase the natural beauty of this wondrous place without any explanation whatsoever.
Go there and “see” it yourself.
[bctt tweet=”Texas is not just about dusty deserts! Come see the #green side of Austin @UpUpAndABear” username=”IBAbloggers”]
Want to see even more great pictures of Hung’s trip to Austin? Well, head on over for to his blog for some amazing photos. You will especially love the hummingbirds and middle earth shots!
Don’t forget to ‘pin’ me to your favorite travel board!
Meet Hung: