Connections: New and Old

My best friend Angela and I in Marfa, TX.

I won’t lie. It’s been a hard year. I mean a REALLY hard year. My father passed quickly from cancer in early August of 2023. Six weeks later, my mother fell and broke her hip. I spent four months driving back and forth from Austin to Houston trying to settle my family’s affairs. Just before Thanksgiving, we packed my parent’s house and moved my mother in with me.

The day my dad died, my two best girlfriends swooped in and took over. I don’t remember the details of those days-- I was stumbling through a fog. But I do know that I could not have functioned without those two. So, when it was time to plan this year’s summer road-trip, I couldn’t think of two better people to join me on the first half of the adventure.

I love to travel for so many reasons– but connection is one of the strongest. Connection with myself, place, and the people I meet along the way. I embrace the openness that traveling asks of you, that openness that lets random connection happen.

The trip started with a week on the road with my girlfriends. We planned to begin in Austin, spend time in West Texas and then end in Sante Fe. I love West Texas-- the mountains, the desert, the sky. Quirky small towns, vast open space, and families that have lived and ranched the land for generations. It’s a long day of driving from the center of TX due west almost to the Mexico border. The distance and time are a true commitment to traveling, to observing, to taking your time to gaze upon the vastness of West Texas.

I love to travel for so many reasons– but connection is one of the strongest. Connection with myself, place, and the people I meet along the way.

Our base for the next three days was Fort Davis, a town of less than 1,000 people in the Davis Mountains. We rolled in just before the only open restaurant closed for the night. After a long day of driving, we were happy for a cold margarita and a traditional chicken fried steak. In true small town Texas form, we struck up a conversation with Joe William, owner of Big Bend Coffee Roasters and board member to many local non-profits. He insisted that we take his personal laminated member card to the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center so we could get in for free.

The morning of the hike was Lori’s birthday…. Most of our friends’ 50th birthdays occurred during the COVID pandemic, so we were excited to celebrate her birthday together.

Lori and I on her birthday hike. All smiles despite the heat!

It's HOT in West Texas in the summer. Any outdoor activity needs to be done EARLY, and our late start at 9:30 am already had visible heat waves radiating off the parking lot pavement . We chose the Modesta Canyon trail, a short but strenuous hike on rocky trails leading 200 feet into the bottom of the canyon and then back up to a gorgeous hilltop view.  The hike was only an hour, but with such intense heat  we were thrilled to see “civilization” and air conditioning on our return. We went straight to the nearest pool and spent a leisurely afternoon cooling off.

On the way out of Texas, we stopped for a dip in the spring-fed swimming hole at Balmorhea State Park. We were joined by Will and Jen– friends of Lori’s from the old Austin days. Will belongs to one of the oldest ranching families in the area. “We own a mountain,” Jen informed us with a twinkle in her eye. With his cartoonishly long beard, flannel shirts, and worn baseball cap, Will fits in perfectly with the quirky nature of West Texas. He regaled us with local history, old family tales, and a healthy helping of gossip from around the area. Another delightful day in the company of West Texas.

From left to right: Will, Andrea (me), Angela, Lori, and Jen at the spring-fed swimming hole at Balmorhea State Park.

In Santa Fe, I said goodbye to my dear girlfriends and embarked on a solo trip through New Mexico and Colorado. I drove along the River Grande river into beautiful Taos...how stunning. 

Not only a popular ski destination, it was gorgeous in the summer and reminded me of Austin in the 90’s–Artists and musicians everywhere. I stayed at the quirky El Pueblo Lodge a few blocks off the main plaza. After over a week of eating Mexican and Southwestern food, I was ready for something else. Walking around, I noticed the Burger Stand right across the street from the lodge. I peaked inside and it was happening— it seemed the whole town of Taos had stopped for a burger, so surely it was worth a try. I ordered a burger and a local cider and stationed myself at the bar. Just as the open-mic comedy hour was starting, I struck up a conversation with the guy next to me. Turns out he was from Austin, and we spent the next hour chatting and playing the “do you know this person” game. I told him about my son and his unfortunate luck to start college immediately pre-pandemic, but how he had twisted the misfortune into the opportunity to dive into his dream job of working in the TV + film industry. Later in the conversation, I mentioned my son Atticus by name, and the light immediately turned on in my conversation partner’s face. “Do you know Orion Buxton?” he asked. Orion and I met in Austin when I was 19, and he has been like an older brother to me over the more than 30 years we’ve known each other. Turns out, this was Orion’s old friend Patrick sitting next to me at the burger stand in Taos! We quickly shot a selfie, sent it to Orion, and made plans to connect when we were both back in Austin. I can’t help but say: Small world!

To: Orion

I ended my trip with a luxurious 2-day stay at the Four Seasons Vail  where I enjoyed my balcony with mountain views, a fabulous bottle of Pinot Noir and yummy chocolate covered strawberries, macaroons, and other sweets left to me by the hotel. The beautiful, kind, and very French rep for the hotel gave me a tour of the property and offered a dinner recommendation where her equally beautiful and sweet Spanish boyfriend works. When I texted her a ‘thank you’ later that evening, she invited me to a concert with some friends the next night. In truth, I was on the fence...the next day was my last full day of the trip. I wanted to explore, and I needed to get some work done and repack after 12 days on the road. But I stopped, took a breath, and reminded myself that it was the last day of an amazing trip, and I couldn’t pass up this invitation to join some new friends at an outdoor concert. After all, these spontaneous moments are so much of what I love about traveling, especially solo travel. 

A ski lift glides by during my hike in Vail, CO.

Just before my new friends were picking me up from the hotel the next day, the rain swept in and the temperature dropped. “The summer weather in Vail is tempestuous,” my new friend Claude informed me as I got into the car. The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, a stunning open-air theater in Vail Valley, hosts top-notch music and dance festivals throughout the summer. The Bravo! Vail Music Festival had just started its season and we had tickets to see Sinfónica de Minería, a grammy award winning orchestra from Mexico City. 

Sinfónica de Minería at Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

Just as we took our seats, the skies cleared, the sun and birds came out, and the mountaintop broke through the clouds.  I was mesmerized by Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, a gorgeous and charismatic classical guitarist who gave a virtuosic performance. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. What an amazing way to end the trip!

It’s human nature to crave connection, especially through difficult times. This recent adventure gave me time to reconnect with old friends and the spirit to make new ones. After this trying year, I couldn’t ask for better solace.