The day started off real late at 3pm and first stop was COFFEE. Took a trek under the blazing texan sun to a little place called the buzz mill which had one of the most interesting interiors I’ve ever seen of a coffee/bar. As you enter, you are greeted by a large yellow sign with bold fonts shouting the establishment’s name right at ya. It features some lumberjacky-theme with plenty of wildlife as well.
Inside, there are several eye catching pieces that are surprisingly fitting for this space. The coffees are displayed on large slabs of wood, the type probably burned or stained with the variety of coffees you may purchase.
At the corner, one of two very peculiar bears are just literally hanging out. While the other stands upright, but is super casual, which I only know based on the type of shirt he is wearing.
He looks into the distance, perhaps thinking about those pacific wild salmon that he once hunted in the early spring days of the year.
He’s obviously retired now. Check him out in his patterned shirt.
I got my iced coffee, which tasted REALLY strong, and hung out a little bit outside. There were a lot of different kids hanging about on that day. It was a weird conglomeration of people to say the least. There was the hipster with his epic beard, dressed in full black, sporting large square glasses, sipping on his espresso while reading some sort of worn out book. He was sitting not too far away from his single speed. Nearby there were two construction workers, still wearing their neon orange and yellow vests, enjoying two cold mexican beers and laughing/sweating buckets. At the very end, there was a group of 20something year old having a blast, each with some sort of exotic beer in hand, all laughing loudly with not only their voices but their bodies too. Last but not least there was this creepy guy who sat right across from me who just kind of kept staring at me for the whole duration of my stay. I wonder if it was because I was asian or because he had other intentions? Funny thing… I’ve only seen about 4 asians here so far.
I learned about a really cool event called the “Thursday night social rides” in austin where around 200 cyclists would meet up and ride together and then get beers afterwards. Needless to say I was down. The event is hosted every week by Social Cycling Austin and anyone can go. I had brought my road bike in hopes of getting some good riding in this summer in Austin but I was in a pretty bad crash about a month and a half ago. I went to the shop to get it fixed and it was brand spanking new by 7pm. When I was riding it home though a smaaaaalll piece of glass popped my front tube and the rest was history. I didn’t get to go to the event on bike, but funny thing was I decided to go for a walk after realizing I couldn’t attend the event and I came across this.
There were literally HUNDREDS of people here. Everyone was chatting, there was definitely weed and beer in the air and lots and lots of laughing. I was so bummed that I couldn’t go ride with them, but there’s always next week.
What I’ve taken away from Austin in these short few days is that there is an AMAZING community here comprised of many many smaller niches who are friendly, inviting, and laid back all around fun people. Even though sometimes when I’m walking around and I get a bit sad when I’m all alone and I see a lot of pairs, it’s really amazing that I can walk up to anyone and strike up a conversation with them for a solid 10 minutes and actually talk about something with meaning. This is definitely one of the most rewarding parts of immersing yourself in a new culture or environment. Austin, you’ve got a supporter here! #keepaustinweird!
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