Austin

Our first full day in Austin proved quite eventful, full of bike riding, coffee, swimming in the town lake, record store openings, book store collectives, pizza parlors and a night at the bar.

Everyone in Austin has been ridiculously friendly: multiple people walked up to us at the record store opening to chat (we even got offered a place to crash), Zack got told he was 'beautiful' at Barton Springs and was invited to a drum circle (.....) Jeff's friend Sara hooked us up with free beer and a discount on vegan pizza and we ended up hanging out with three random guys at the Sidebar (discussing over the handlebar skids, tim and eric and the stability of the currency) There's a ton going on (free showing of Animal House tonight as well as a documentary screening on the prison system) and we might even go to a show at Emo's on Wednesday (my highschool dream!)

(side note)
As the trip goes on, I've become increasingly fascinated with all the different natural disasters that occur in each place; Budge was telling us about the monsoons that happen in Tuscon that have literally pushed cars into the tops of bridges when they flood, how they have a 'lightning pose' to break the circuit if you get struck, and Serra is required to have flood insurance, as she lives next to a dry creek bed. I can deal with earthquakes, but tornadoes? More to come as we move farther east.

pictures to come