Since this is my last semester of college, I have tried to make a point of getting away from the campus area more and exploring the city. I’m lucky that I will be working here after I graduate so I don’t have pressure on me to check a bunch of things off a last semester bucket list like a lot of my friends have been doing.
Earlier in the semester I had the opportunity to see Sango, one of my favorite DJs, at Empire Control Room. The show was as good as I had hoped it would be so I’m very happy that I lucked into getting a ticket from a friend after I told him how jealous I was that he was going. For anyone that has seen my spotify playlist I included some of his songs on there so you should check it out!
After realizing how sad my life was without having a dog in it, I decided to remedy that in February. Kayla and I have gone to explore many different spots around Austin but Graffiti Park was one of my favorites. I had gone here several times throughout my time in college but this time I was showing both Kayla and my friend who I lived with while I studied abroad in London. It was a great experience due to meeting many different people from a drone photographer to an artist who travels the country and lives out of her van.
The last part of my adventures around the city was a stop at one of the swimming holes on the greenbelt. There are many cool hikes and trails along the greenbelt but this area is my favorite. My half-brother visited from Alabama so naturally I had to include this on the tour. We spent several hours just hanging out (in a hammock, get it?) and catching up as we enjoyed being away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Over the course of the semester, I have realized that there are both pros and cons with how much we use phones to record our experiences. I have pictures that are close to ten years old from my very first phone. However, at events such as the Sango show and being on the greenbelt I realized that some experiences need to be lived in without the hinderance of recording videos or looking at notifications. One memory that perfectly sums this thought up was when I was on the greenbelt. As I was lost in thought laying in my hammock on the greenbelt, my little brother pulled me out of my thoughts by streaming the Kentucky vs. UNC game. To many, getting away from a city is a way to disconnect and destress. To others, reality is their getaway from their digital lives.