The Blues' Already Kickin' In

This very same thing has happened to me before. Mi wife would just look at me with that tender Spanish look that suggests I'm unleashing my Mexican Sweet Tooth for Melodrama. Yeah, maybe. But it's an emotion I like to experience, though. It reminds me that, instead of leaving a place behind, I have actually added another room to that big borderless place I like to call home.

I'm talking about the Homeleaving Blues, la nostalgia del que se va, that is. Yesterday I dropped by Costco with my son Emiliano to get some stuff and, as every time he tags along to the supermarket, just before leaving he asked me to stop by the books section. While Emiliano was reading a Cat-in-the-Hat book on whales, a big graphic volume caught my eye. It was called Every town needs a trail, a beautiful book packed with outstanding pictures of Lady Bird Lake in Downtown Austin, formerly called Town Lake.

Valentina and my kids searching for nice rocks on Town Lake's shore. December 2005.

As I was going through the book, I couldn't keep from feeling a crunch in my guts. I've always said--always means, obviously, since 2004--my favorite place in Austin is Lady Bird Lake. It used to be one of our favorite weekend treats when we just arrived in the city; just strolling on its trail with my wife and kids every Sunday or Saturday morning was a blast. Then, around 2006, I started taking seriously my jogging and running proclivities, and the place where I would go, up until now, at least once a week to do some miles is there. Long story short, two weeks ago I ran 10 miles in Town Lake --I still don't get used to the new name-- for the very first time in my life.

So, I know there's one place I will miss about Austin when we leave --and we're leaving soon-- and it will be that damn trail on the shores of the Colorado River.

Who knew.