My best friend Sydney and I left the hustle and bustle of Austin’s city limits and glided to our Hill Country retreat. There was an immediate sense of relief, going from cars honking to the sound of cicadas. Driving through Texas Hill Country is a magical feeling. There’s something truly dreamy about a sunny Texas day and Willie Nelson on the radio. Home to the seemingly never-ending fields of bluebonnets, Hill Country is a place you want to set up a homestead and stay forever. Luckily, we were en route to our first of three dreamy stops on our Texas adventure.
The two of us lived together all of college, but this was the first time we did a trip like this. COVID played a big part, halting all of our extravagant travel plans, just like the rest of the world’s.Typically, we’d wander to a new part of the country, getting as far away from home as possible. But instead, we made an adventure out of the place we’ve always called home, TEXAS!
After making a stop at the local HEB to pick up some essentials, like the HEB chicken salad (highly recommend), winding through streets lined with old oak trees, we finally arrived at our destination. We drove down a dusty road and to be welcomed by a beautiful cabin. We spent the evening playing cards and catching up before pulling down the shades and closing our eyes.
Syd and I were really looking forward to the Austin location since we both grew up less than an hour away. We were eager to explore an area that has always been in our backyard, but we never got the chance to really appreciate. There’s a mysticism in escaping to a place you’ve always known, to discover the serenity of a landscape untouched by citydwellers — trading skyscrapers for creek beds, takeout food for a fire-cooked meal, and traffic for tranquility.
We spent a couple days relaxing at the cabin, hiking, checking out Old Baldy Trail, and making the most of the present moment. We enjoyed winding our way down Devils Backbone, eating our way through our snacks, and sharing the jokes and stories we needed to catch up on.
2020 proved to be an all-encompassing year for many people; a year that catapulted trial, change, growth, sadness, and newness… The list goes on, but getting to step away from the stresses of everyday life, going o a cabin in the woods with one of your best friends is a true dose of medicine. The decision to make time to grow in our friendship and slow down is something we both will be more happy we did, not only today, but 50 years from now.
We were sad to pull away from our cabin but thrilled we were on our way to our next Getaway outside of Houston.
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