We have hit the road again!! Here is a far too brief summary of our time in Austin:
THANK YOU THANK YOU to Oso and Craig for letting us crash with you and for fitting us into your lives. You made us feel so welcome and made me realize even more why Ryan loves you both so much. So many delicious meals, engaging music, and long conversations. We are looking forward to many more memories with you both!
Ryan got into the pedicab family in Austin and was even hired to do mechanical work on the bikes! He’s really getting good at it and I am SO thankful. I love having a bonafide bike mechanic as my boyfriend and travel companion 😊
Austin, thank you for so many bike rides, walks, and runs by Lady Bird Lake. If you ever visit Austin, they have an AMAZING trail built right along both sides of the water running through the middle of town. It’s one of the most beautiful city trails I’ve ever been on and I made sure to take full advantage while we were there.
I had the pleasure of developing a friendship with Anna Araya ❤️ thank you Anna for your witty remarks, INCREDIBLE listening ability, and your sweet love for cats that bonds us 😊
While Ryan was earning some extra money pedicabbing, my dad flew me to meet him in Las Vegas where he was for a few days on a work trip. After exploring the strip, eating gourmet dinners, and getting some quality father daughter time, we flew to Anaheim and met my mom and sister for Disneyland, delicious food adventures (including an authentic Filipino meal), and top down mustang convertible California driving. We all went home to Washington after and soaked in the atmosphere of being with family. Thank you Mommy, Daddy, and Michaela for such a fun and restorative time ❤️ I love you guys! I attribute so many of the good things in my life to you three.
Getting around with no car. Wow. Cars are nice when you live somewhere for a while. Biking is great, and the busses work well… but I have a new appreciation for the comfort and ease of owning a vehicle.
Helping Ryan’s cousin, Staryn, regrout his natural stone tile floor. What a job! And with such great company! We earned a delicious home cooked dinner by his gorgeous girlfriend Missy after and had fun talking with them and her son Tristan who is building his own motorized long board from scratch.
I painted 20 full page watercolor illustration children’s book and got to try out being a full time illustrator. Thank you Ryan Hanlon for trusting me with your beautiful story!
My time in Austin was one of the most challenging stages of my life, mostly due to grappling with so much uncertainty of the future and a loss of a sense of direction. I wish I could say I handled it with courage and grace… Not always the case. I am left feeling so thankful for the great memories and a developed a little bit more compassion for people who are displaced, uncertain, or lonely.
What an appropriate time for reflecting on uncertainty as we all deal with the coronavirus and its unprecedented effect on our lives. My heart goes out to anyone who feels the existential pressure of not knowing what is coming. I pray that even in difficult times and mindsets, we will find our way home to loving ourselves and the people in our lives, and to seeing the blessings all around us that can get taken for granted if we aren’t careful to look closely ❤️ Also for creativity to handle the new challenges that get thrown our way! A lotus can’t bloom without mud.
We are curious to see what traveling will look like as fear is generally high right now, but we are hopeful and ready to ride!
It’s been real Austin.
Thank you especially to Ryan Wagner for sticking beside me through all of this adventure. Your loyalty and resilience have carried me further than I ever saw myself going! Thank you for being my partner.
There and Back Again 