Travel Diaries: Keeping Austin Weird

Travel Diaries, Chapter One: Keeping Austin...Weird.

This summer began after bidding Adieu to State College and heading home for a week before making the big move to New York City. But in between home and the NYC move, I had to go to training for my summer internship at the University of Texas at Austin. Austin was, without a doubt, one of the most interesting cities I have visited. The word interesting is used with caution, here, because interesting could be taken in many ways.

To clarify: Austin's slogan is Keep Austin Weird. Yes, they take great pride in keeping the city weird. From the tie-dyed t-shirts boasting the slogan to rainbow-colored hair, undiscernable yet oddly artistic wall murals and tattoo sleeves on not just the majority of the men but the women as well, I believe weird is the perfect adjective for this city.



One of the biggest adjustments I had to make was to Texan terminology. While by the end of my 2-week stay I was more than ready to hear some East Coast slang, the slow, drawn out Texas drawl is actually charming, especially when paired with colloquial phrases such as:

"Geeminey!" [Pronounced Gee-Muh-Nee, similar to Jiminey as in Jiminey Cricket, but with a southern twang] TRANSLATION: An exclamation used in a state of complete surprise and/or shock.

"Well, she just thinks you hung the moon!" TRANSLATION: A phrase to mean that someone thinks the world of you.

"Thongs" TRANSLATION: Flip Flops (as I found out when an employee at the airport complimented me on my thongs and I felt my face burn with embarassment until I saw that she was pointing at my feet).

"It's so dry the trees are bribin' the dogs!" TRANSLATION: This drought has gone on too long and we need some rain!

One of the most obvious aspects I observed in Austin is the entire city's boasting pride in the burnt orange and longhorn mascot of the University of Texas. Granted, I may be a bit biased because I bleed my alma mater's blue and white and could sing the Nittany Lion fight song in my sleep, but all of it was enough to make me queasy. However, after initially being dissapointed by the campus before I saw most of it, I must admit that the campus is really nice. The main mall is centered around a tall building with a large clock called the Tower, and there are a few fountains scattered throughout the campus. And...(it pains me to even type this)...their football stadium, to my dismay, was a state-of-the art facility. Though it is many decades old, it appeared to have been built fairly recently. I was a little disconcerted, however, to see that the majority of the statues on campus are of Confederate generals. But, it's a southern school, so what can you do? After meeting a few professors and deans and exploring the campus I came to the conclusion that it is a great University with what seems to be a great communications program, however I wouldn't recommend it to out-of-staters -- I don't think I met a single person who attended the school who was not a Texan.

Without a doubt, my favorite part of Austin was the nightlife. Downtown Austin is truly attractive at night time, with dozens of colorfully lit bars, restaurants and clubs that are breathing the bass of live bands and club DJ's and offer great deals on drinks, many without so much as a cover charge (unheard of in many cities, like my new temporary home of New York). What separates Austin's downtown from other nightlife is the music. Although I'm not a fan of rock or alternative, live music is always a good combination with late nights drinks in a new city. My favorite spot was a place called Maggie Mae's, a tropically lit rooftop bar with a dance floor that featured a DJ that played a variety of music. There was something unexpected and refreshing about a rooftop bar with a cool night breeze in Texas.

Another attraction to many people may be Barton Springs, a natural spring pool with water that remains at about 65 degrees all year around. A lot of locals like to go to the springs and lay out on the grass of the steep hills before taking a dip in the springs, which are protected by a manmade concrete exterior and surrounded by many endangered trees. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the place, but that may be due to the fact that I am spoiled by sparkling blue Caribbean beaches (thanks, Dad!) and I'm not used to swimming in green, lake-ish water (I could have sworn I saw a diaper covered in seaweed and algae float by). The main pool is adjacent to a dog park, which is a separate pool where Austiners can bring their dogs for a swim or to run around in the grass (WARNING: the smell is NOT pleasant!).

Overall, Austin isn't a place I'd personally want to live, but a unique and lively city nonetheless -- I can certainly see the appeal of it to many people. Regardless of whether or not you find that Austin is right for you, one thing you can rest assured about: the natives are doing a great job in their fight to keep Austin...weird.