Off to Austin - The Arrival!

A tired Paisley, downing her drink at Whattaburger.

David was disappointed that the previous night all I felt like eating was Jason's Deli when there was a Whataburger right next to our Hotel.  So we redirected our route so that we could drive through Brownwood, TX at lunchtime to eat at Whataburger.  Even after all the hype about Whataburger and their 2000-calorie burgers, David was not disappointed in the least.

That evening around 5:30, we rolled into Austin.  I must admit, after driving through so many cities, I didn't think the freeways of Austin were anything too special.  Then we got off the freeway and drove into the city on Congress Ave. Congress crosses a bridge over the river (aka Lady Bird Lake) and into the city, leading straight through the middle of Austin to the breathtaking Capitol Building.  It is pretty stunning, and it made me super excited to live in Austin.  We'll be living right downtown, a few blocks away from the Longhorns football stadium.  There's lots within walking distance, including the Captiol, UT campus, lots of fun eclectic little shops and restaurants, and even the river, lined with trails and parks.  It really is awesome.

The Capitol building from the North side of Austin

Welcome to Austin - the night view

The field of dreams

Entrance to the stadium.  Pretty impressive, right?

Our arrival to our apartment was equally breathtaking, but not in a good way!  I should have taken before and after pictures, but I was too anxious to clean!!  Our apartment was posted on Craigslist as a sublet, where the renter was leaving for the summer and was looking for someone to take over rent for a couple of months.  We found some great deals, but the best (we thought) was this one.  A two bedroom apartment with both the renters gone, cable, internet, pool, pots, pans, furniture, all included.  Right downtown, and we would only pay the price of one of the bedrooms!  Done.  When we got here, however, we were reminded of what a typical male college student's place can look - and smell - like.  They had put all of their things away, so everything was tidy, they just forgot to really clean - for the past 2 years!!  So our first stop was Walmart, where we bought a broom and other cleaning supplies, and have been sweeping, scrubbing, and bleaching ever since we got here.  I turned the bathtub (where Paisley has her bath every day) from a blackish brown to a sparkling white, and the dusty, grimy counters and hardwood floors now sparkle.  It even smells pretty decent! The pool is great, and the air conditioning works beautifully. I think we'll make it through the next few months pretty comfortably.

So, here we are, living it up in the heat and humidity of beautiful Austin, TX.