Miraculously dodging Covid, cancelled flights, and border closures, I left Newcastle on a sunny afternoon on December 21 and touched down in chilly Nashville at 8pm on December 22. I've been back in the South for nearly three weeks, seeing people I love in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and, now, Austin Texas.
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I'm visiting my childhood best friend, Ivey, in Austin. We both grew up in South Carolina, and I've stayed with her several times. This week seems particularly memorable due to the fact that she's pregnant with her first child, I haven't been able to leave Australia for nearly two years, and, yes, the raging pandemic.
I showed up with multiple rapid antigen tests, for myself, for her, for anyone who needs them as there's a real shortage of them in almost every city my brother Zac and I have driven through. (Not too different from Newcastle.) I got lucky and found a pile in a Chattanooga drugstore. We've been negative so far. This morning Ivey's husband dropped one box in the neighbors' mailbox; He was unvaccinated and feeling ill. We later learn the neighbour is indeed positive. (Someone said one in three people in Austin have Covid.)
Covid aside, changes are still happening, Tesla, Google, Amazon, Facebook and more are relocating offices here. Money is coming in. I see similarities between Newcastle and Austin. Both are growing rapidly, although I'd say Austin is more renowned.
There are no beaches in Austin, but there is plenty of outdoor recreation. Austin has more Mexican food than Newcastle and more vegan options. (Not shabby, considering Newcastle's burgeoning vegan scene.) Austin has nearly 1million people, Newcastle, nearly half a million.
In Newcastle some people complain about Sydney people buying all the real estate. In Austin it's Californians driving prices up. In Newcastle a one-bedroom apartment in town might go for anywhere between $500,000-$750,000. In Austin a one-bedder can go from under $US200,000 to $US520,000 ($278,000-$724,000. Austin is one blue, lefty city in the midst of a highly red, conservative lone star state. Similarly, Newcastle is a predictable Labor city despite NSW's current Liberal government.
Ivey showed me Queer Eye Austin, which was their latest season all about this city and its characters. She generously took me to visit The Broken Spoke Honkey Tonk from Episode One. On Sunday she took me to Safe In Austin Animal Sanctuary from Episode Six. Earlier that day I had Texas-style longhorn banana split milkshake that simply had to go on my Instagram stories. There's no doubt, Austin has never been more popular.
I get why. Our waitress at a vegan/vegetarian Cafe cheerfully told us she just cleared isolation the other day. She'd been recently boosted and Covid wasn't too bad for her, fortunately. I instantly loved her after we connected over turmeric lattes. We then talked for nearly 20 minutes. Her name is Shale and before everyone recently switched to N95 masks she loved wearing her rainbow mermaid mask.
The South has its problems, but the openness of strangers is enough for me to forget about Australia's high wages and free health care and move right back home. Shale's a born and bred Texan and happy to talk to us about her Trans identity. She moved from Fort Worth to Austin for college. She found a beauty in Austin that made her want to stay.
I wondered how Shale and the masseuse I met earlier on the same day would get along. I wasn't expected to have to wear my mask during the massage, but of course, why wouldn't I? I also wasn't expected to talk nonstop for an hour to my masseuse, but this is the South - of course I'm going to run my gob the entire time. Her name is Anita and she's 36. She's been married for 10 years and has four kids, a blended family. She's never travelled outside the US (besides cruises).
She's quite interested in how I've just fled Australia and intrigued as to how exactly I ended up there in the first place. I told her I was heading to Mexico after this trip. Despite Texas bordering Mexico, she's never been, although her father is originally from Mexico.
She notes Austin is a musical place, but with all the prices rising, musicians can't afford to live here anymore.
She's noticed recently 20-year-olds now requesting Botox at the spa.
On the plus side, more restaurants are dog friendly these days.