Five miles to the middle of nowhere

I have to admit that 4-years ago I was a little upset...upset and angry...upset,angry and confused...I felt out of my safe place and I was not comfortable with it.....I didn't have the comforts that I had grown accustomed to and I didn't know which way to turn...I was used to going to where I knew I could find what I was looking for and also knew that I would leave that place feeling satisfied....fulfilled.


As time passed  I became more aggressive towards finding the perfect places to get away from it all...just to be quiet,take in the sights/sounds/scents/scenery and most importantly allow the dogs to run freely,off-leash....just being dogs.

I was used to travelling atleast 20-30 minutes in Denver to get to the big off-leash areas...these spots usually included some world class views of the Rocky Mountains.....the sky was open and unlimited in it's grandeur...the sun would set just a bit and the colors would bleed from the sharpest of red-orange to a seductive purplish-blue....."this could not be replaced or remade" I would often think to myself as I sat there with my four-legged children,daring fate to prove me wrong.


Well,yesterday,fours-years later,I found myself in the middle of nowhere...surrounded by everything that seemed to be a sort of prerequisite to be able to be considered a "perfect place"....the sights of dark green lush growth...the sounds of birds,rushing water and NO CARS......the scent of clean,refreshing,just-after-rain air.....the scenery of some mountainous area that you would send a postcard of to a friend just to rub it into their face!.....and it was perfect....

...and it was only five miles from our house....fate had once again proven me wrong.

Now,I have been here before...actually many times....I have seen this place swollen with people on a weekend day....I have also seen it on a rainy day when only the hardcore dog owners come out knowing that the crowds would be non-existent.

I have seen the waters rise above the trail line and have also experienced the severe effects of a long drought cracking the earth in the beds below...looking like a scene form some movie filmed in the Sahara.

But as I walked the dogs yesterday I just kept smiling and laughing to myself.....I just felt like I belonged here...I have done my time and I can now stake my piece of this beauty...I can now say that I'm home.

I'm glad that I no longer have to make long journeys for a simple walk...the walk can be a journey alone and the faster that I can get myself exploring the better off we all are...and I don't have to hear Tango whine as much.

The first image that I ever had of Austin was from a picture that Jen had....it was one of the 360 bridge crossing over lake austin...it was so simple yet it said so much of what this place has to offer...I would like to think of it as a simple elegance.

We have had the joy of being able to explore,swim,boat and jump off of tall objects without ever having to leave the city....what more could I ask for?.

I remember once having a conversation with my sister about the ideal place to live...I do have certain metroploitan needs...such as a live music venue that draws good music in,a movie theater that plays the new releases and good food...but mostly I wanted some place that had a great swimming hole and a rope swing...

..I now have that...

...and it's only five miles to the middle of nowhere.