Friday: 9 p.m. Inside the shuttle bus: Good-bye Virginia, hello Texas!
The city is welcoming. I’m greeted by a warm air with a cool, brisk spring breeze. I’m in a new place and this notion is quite comforting for the moment. Our small suitcase is located in the trunk of this shuttle bus. We go through a series of bumps in the empty streets of Austin before we reach our hotel.
We’re at the hotel. I get off and remind myself that I’m a tourist again, a visitor, and no one knows me. And that’s what I think of for the next two days…
I hear music as I walk the streets. Those who know Austin say it’s known for its live music. The bars are open and you can almost feel the vibration from the music inside.
I realize my feet are in pain. I’m wearing my red shoes that have fooled me once again, making me think they’re comfortable. Why can’t pretty shoes be comfortable?
I like this foreign hotel room and the cold, untouched bed. Somehow I’m able to forget the calamities of the day before. Somehow, I’m able to sleep without pausing to think of what’s to come…
Saturday, March 11:In search of handsome cowboys…any cowboy really
I love this small town. Everything from the streets to the D.C.-like architecture gives me a sense of tranquility and peace. Or maybe it’s because the storm in my head has finally calmed.
I don’t feel the excitement I normally feel when I’m in the middle of Manhattan. But I am enjoying the warm wind that slightly lifts my black skirt. I’m in search of cowboys and men with rich Southern accents. So far I’ve not encountered any except the woman at the cash register of a small gift shop who had a bit of an accent.
I buy a pair of sexy, red high heels for $18.50. I try on the famous Texan boots that range from $150-300. I try on a black cowboy hat and my mother secretly takes a picture.
Mirrors appear everywhere in almost every store I walk in. I don’t know if mirrors are symbolic in Texas or I’ve just walked into too many antique shops.
The night is beautiful…with live music coming out of restaurants and bars…I’m wearing my new red shoes and my feet hurt like hell…
I eat at a Thai restaurant in the company of four amazing women. Anastasia, the talented journalist/creator of Ypulse.com sits in front of me. She is wearing gorgeous earrings and a matching necklace. Dianne, the brilliant trend spotter sits to my right. And then there is the amazingly talented fashion writer Casey and her supportive mom. They’ve come from San Francisco, Missouri, and New York to join me in the “Meet Judy Jetson: How Technology is Transforming 21st Century Teens” panel.
What’s great about the trips we make is that if we look closely, we find inspiring people, talented women with ambitions and big dreams. Sitting with these women, I feel honored and truly motivated. Big dreams have come true for women like Anastasia, Dianne, and Casey. Big dreams are possible…
I enjoy a spicy, yet tasty, exotic Thai food and the conversations we have during our meal.
By the time I leave the restaurant I think of Anastasia’s advice. She believes in me…that’s more than I could ask for.
As Anastasia and Dianne part from us to their own adventures, I take off my red shoes and replace them with flip flops. My toes are red and a bit swollen…I’ve been fooled once again.
Sunday: Getting ready for the panel and yet another pair of painful heels
The panel starts at 11 a.m. A table is ready for us with our names on top. I have a microphone in front of me and I’m getting a little nervous. The audience is a blur and I prefer to see them that way so I don’t get nervous.
At the end of the panel a guy from M.T.V. talks to me and tells me he enjoyed it a lot. He gets my resume, which contains my e-mail. I am filled with excitement…later Casey and I are interviewed by a guy from the Houston paper (I forget the exact name).
I thank Anastasia again for this amazing trip and leave for the airport.
My return: Sleepless in Virginia
I’m very tired but my mind won’t shut-off. I’m back in my own warm bed. I’m back at home. I’m not falling asleep…tonight I’m sleepless in Virginia…