I moved to Austin in the summer of 1990. I was 18 years old at the time. I wanted freedom and independence; my mother was very worried for both my soul and my virtue, and to preserve both, she tried very hard to exert near-complete control over my life. I couldn't take any more. I had to leave. I left San Antonio to try my hand at living my own life, and I've been in Austin ever since.
I'm not the same doe-eyed girl I was then. I've grown up, learned a lot, and gotten married. I developed an epic love-hate relationship with this town, and the story of it -- well, it would be pretty boring, to be honest. However, I've found myself on the verge of moving away from the town in which I came of age, and I feel the need to commemorate what we've meant to each other.
So, in no uncertain terms, I'm leaving you with this pictoral essay of what it meant to me to be an Austinite.
YEAR: 1991
BILLBOARD SONG OF THE YEAR: "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" ~Bryan Adams
IN THE NEWS: The Yogurt Shop Murders
BOX OFFICE SMASH: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
ME: Working at the mall, hanging out at the Backroom, riding the bus, reading a lot of Anne Rice, lusting after long-haired glam metal guys. Thought I could get serious about being a writer . . .eventually.
YEAR: 1996
IN THE NEWS: Clinton elected; TWA flight 800 crash
BOX OFFICE SMASH: Independence Day
ME: Working as a travelling sales rep, living in my own apartment, driving my own car, social hermit. Writing really awful pulp romance trash.
YEAR: 2001
BILLBOARD SONG OF THE YEAR: "Hanging by a Moment" ~Lifehouse
IN THE NEWS: The Terrorist attacks of 9/11
BOX OFFICE SMASH: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
ME: Just married, thinner, living in the country with a couple of dogs. Writing the occasional short story; dabbling in horror.
YEAR: 2006
IN THE NEWS: Pluto ain't a planet, we're (still) at war in Iraq
BOX OFFICE SMASH: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
ME: Starting a new job, becoming a pain in the ass about wanting to move back into the city, starting to draft concepts for full novel-length stories, rediscovering my love affair with Stephen King.
YEAR: 2011
IN THE NEWS: The recession drags on; record-breaking Texas drought
BOX OFFICE SMASH (2010): Toy Story 3
ME: OMG IT'S SO HOT WE'VE GOT TO MOVE THE HELL OUT OF THIS STATE BEFORE MY EYES MELT OUT OF MY HEAD -- wait, what? We can move? WEEEEEE!
I love that you love Austin. We only missed each other by a couple of years -- John and I left in 1987 . . .
ReplyDeleteThat's how I felt about Arizona. That's how I feel about Florida. I've learned my lesson about extreme weather (both hot AND cold). :)
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