Austin and San Antonio...

If there's one tree that I love, it's the Live Oak. Much more than that, I love the Live Oaks at Shady Grove in Austin. So when we got together for our annual Denver Girls Trip, I was more than happy to show my foreign (Coloradoan) friends around this great state of mine. Of course we had to have lunch at the Grove. I can tell you that there are pieces of my life that I have compartmentalized from each other... I never expect that my family and friends from what I consider home would cross over with all of my friends and mentors from my life in Denver. It was an odd feeling, but it was wonderful to share with my friends what created me during my formative years.
We also visited the ever so fabulous Riverwalk, home of twinkly Christmas lights in the winter and green green green trees in the summertime. The Riverwalk always makes me nostalgic and schmoopy, as this is the location where my husband and I spent many a night falling in love. We walked past many of our first date-y locations and I couldn't help but throw a penny in the river for him, just like we did when we were in college. I'm not sure anyone I was with noticed, which is probably for the best. No need to be teased about one of my favorite memories of college.
Along those lines, my grandmother lives in Austin. She's adorable and fun and loves to entertain, so when she found out that we were staying just a few miles from her house, she insisted we come by for a visit. She made us a fabulous brunch and I really loved that I got to spend some time with her. I'm so glad that I've been able to see her more than ever. And I've got to say, the woman looks fantastic for anyone half her age. I hope that my future holds that!

The whole trip wasn't thoughtful introspection and deep discussion. We went to the Riverwalk, we saw the dinky (although tremendously important) Alamo, we listened to live music on the lake, we went on a tour in an amphibious vehicle, we saw Ester's Follies, and we wandered around on 6th after dark. It was a great trip. We also won free visors, which D and I are showing off.