3-20-08: Austin TX

Drove into the late morning sun and filled up the car and my stomach just before noon at a Texas truck stop. Phone calls discovered that the mechanic I want to work on my car is leaving Austin in the morning so I can just make it this afternoon and wouldn’t have been able to if I had not passed on the nice little RV site in Marathon and been shut out in Ft. Stockton. Funny how that worked.

I drove straight through over 4 hours with only one pit stop and found Anuthee in a little shop outside of Austin. He did twice as much as he charged me for. I hope he has a great time in Colorado with his girlfriend. I like my shiny new aluminum skid plate under the engine of my little car.

By the time I left the shop I was exhausted and starved so I checked in at the local Hostel International and got directions for a Vietnamese restaurant. The hostel lives in a beautiful location with the city lights reflecting from across the lake. The scene—inside and out—could as easily be in Seattle.

I’m tempted to hang out here for another day since I have no idea where to go next. Too tired to think about it and, judging by last night, it never seems to be too late to decide. I was thinking of Padre Island but I learned it is the place of choice for the spring break crowd. Pass.