Yes. To Austin and back. During a work week. Yes. I spent Halloween in the city that celebrates all things weird.
And, it was awesome. Nothing too crazy but an affluential type of awesome. If you know what I mean.
Why this trip in the middle of the year?
Well, a couple of things. For one, I feel like October is the longest fucking month. No bank holidays, no summer weather, it's just there. It's smack dab in between November that holds Thanksgiving and its multiple vacation days and August with its oh-so-awesome glorious weather. It's just a "there" month. Much like Tuesday is just a "there" weekday. To liven up a "there" month, you always have to think up something cool to do. So why not take a trip, weekend trip, weekday trip, whatever, you just need to live it up, have something to hold you over until you can make it to November.
Secondly, and most importantly, I was in between some crazy emotional feelings. Every now and again as a single person, you make the mistake (as in my case, a "mistake") to let someone into your life, You tell this person, this is who I am and I am comfy with it, don't mess this up if you're not here to stay. But they promise to stay even though they know deep in their heart that they don't have that much to give you, or they can't give you what it is you need, that time away from you, which really shouldn't be taken from you in the first place. So you, with all your single girl naivety, let them in. And shucks, months later, or in my case exactly 2 months later, the stories start and they just in some way find some lame brain fucking excuse to bail. In my case, (early) November was his birthday. When I realized that I was not being factored into his birthday plans, I just knew I couldn't bear to be anywhere in the city where he (and his fucking ego) would be. So at 3 am, distraught and utterly heartbroken (yes, I am that melodramatic) I booked a trip to Austin in October.
Being an ill planned trip I didn't have much time to book a hotel or anything. Plus, I was saving whatever vacation days I had for Christmas (I don't know why) so it had to be a "working" vacation, but shhhh, don't tell my employer that.
I ended up staying at Aloft at the Domain. Austin's version of Atlantic Station in Atlanta. It was just blissful. No stress, no muss. Just 4 days spent finding myself, re-discovering who I am (who had gotten lost in all the fake relationship brouhaha), and trying to appreciate me in the warmest weather I could find in October (in America). There were moments where I sat at the fountain at the Domain and just let the breeze whiff through my hair, and be. Be me in my environment, take in the sights, take in life, laughter from the children, families doing their shopping, and cyclists taking in nature. Just take in this time for me. It was just my time to be me and not stress about men, work, being single or anything else. Most importantly, and to my utmost pleasure, I did a lot of drinking and dining. Certainly no shortage of fine dining (and drinking) at the Domain in Austin.
I promised myself that at the end of the "sabbatical/emotional retreat" that I would return to Atlanta and not look back. I would not contact said "asshole" and I would not wonder about said "asshole". Austin was my way of saying goodbye and hoping said "asshole" has a nice life, returning Anita back to form.
That's the way it is and that's the way it ought to be. Us single people have to take care of ourselves. Because if we don't, these "assholes" would shake us at our root.
Let me take you through the pictures from my love sabbatical. Unfortunately, there aren't that many. I was concentrating in taking it in and exhaling. I wanted this trip to mean something emotionally, something that could not be captured in pictures.
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| Aloft at the Domain - scene of the crime. Cannot thank them enough for being so awesome. |
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| NoRTH. The Domain's "It" restaurant. |
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| The Fountain of my reprieve located to the left. Gorgeous sun in October. |
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| Quick capture while on the shuttle to the other side of the Domain. |
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| Me. Looking well rested and skinny. Collarbones! Yes. |
