Can you believe it's been almost three years?

Since I moved to Austin, that is. I arrived in January of 2010 and I'm still finding my way. But it's easier now. I like my life here. I've shared things here before about exploring the city (which I am still doing), but superficial things; not so much about what my world is like here because there were a lot of things from which I needed some distance in order to write about it.

These days, I am never bored. You know those places in just about every city that are great for people-watching? All of Austin is great for people-watching. Like every single bit of it. I've seen men riding bikes in nothing but a thong. I've seen cars covered in glitter and cars driven by hoarders (no shit, you guys, it is a frequent sighting around here, a CR-V packed with so much crap that you literally cannot see in to any window except the windshield. The first time I saw it, I remained astonished for at least a week). Frisbee golf.

I've eliminated most of the stress, drama, etc. from my life and I can't believe I thought I'd be bored without it. I'm not. I really love how safe it feels, to have so much control over what goes on in my personal invisasquare (if you were here and could see me, this is where I do the hand gestures of drawing an invisible square around my immediate person). I also have some control over what happens peripheral to my personal invisasqaure, but really, who wants that anyway? I love that I can still be surprised, amazed, inspired, shocked, appalled, giddy and guileless.

I've met some cool, smart, funny, creative, earnest and kind people. I didn't die from heat exhaustion in the summer of 2011 (a.k.a. "The Devil's Summer"). Fall has arrived. My windows are open. Temperatures drop 20+ degrees at night in this part of the country. I often wear a hoodie when I walk the dog in the early morning or late evening.

So this is me, promising to over share. With stories. Probably with photos. Some of them are going to be of my dog. None will be of my cat. Some of them will be of my feet post-pedicure. Many will be wonderfully weird. You are welcome in advance.

And howdy from Texas, y'all.