Saturday Summary - Week 13 - Cold Floors, Warm People, and an Austin That Kept Moving

Athens, TX (20’s) → Corsica, TX (20’s)  → Dripping Springs, TX (60’s)

I know I’m late again this week, but I hope you’ll forgive me. This week asked me to be present more than productive. Also, Mausi & Jean, I’m pretty sure you’re the two people actually reading this, so consider this a long voice memo from the road.

This was the week Austin became a mirage, always just ahead of us, always moving farther away. It was also the longest stretch we’ve spent in hotels and tiny houses instead of the bus, and honestly? I hated it more than I expected. I missed the bus. I missed campground picnic tables, stepping outside whenever I want, and walking, real walking, not laps around a parking lot. This Arctic blast has been heavy, physically and mentally, and I felt it this week in a way I haven’t yet on the road.

Athens, Texas

We canceled our Friday departure for Austin because of the cold. Not “New York cold,” as in ice, not snow.  Ice and driving is a hard no for me. I still have very clear memories of breaking my wrist, and I’m not interested in adding “road fracture” to this adventure.

We got real cabin fever in Athens. Ironically, the bus has less square footage, but we’re outside so much more when we’re in it. I’d been hitting 8,000 steps most days without thinking about it. In Athens, we barely left the tiny house except to walk Lucky. It wasn’t the temperature as much as the ice. Everything was slick, and I wasn’t risking bones.

I coped by cooking. A lot. White bean soup, Mexican tortilla soup, bean and veggie soup. Sandwiches. One pizza. It felt weirdly like early COVID days: quiet, isolated, nowhere to go. Cooking helped. So did TV. A lot of TV.

The tiny house itself tried its best, but it’s built for Texas heat, not Arctic blasts. The floor wasn’t insulated (it’s elevated with lattice underneath), and it was brutally cold. We wore shoes and double socks inside. The heater was set to 72 (an ironic way to chase 70) but the mini split was mounted high, so all the warmth stayed near the ceiling while our feet froze. Lucky wore her sweater indoors. That tells you everything.

The second night, the pipes froze. We’d planned for it, filling our 4-gallon jug from the bus and filled water bottles. Flushing toilets with jug water and doing dishes that way is humbling. We pulled the water pump and gray water jug from the bus, but forgot the urine container from the composting toilet. Miraculously, it didn’t crack. Small wins.

By Monday morning, the sun came out, and temperatures crept up. We decided to try for Austin. I was nervous immediately. Don drove (thankfully), and within five minutes, I wanted to turn back. Athens had maybe an inch of snow, but beneath it was sleet and ice. Texas does not have road equipment for this. The only thing clearing the roads was…people like us. Which is not comforting.

We crawled along on literal ice, something you are never supposed to do. Everyone else was driving slowly too, which helped, but I kept mentally bookmarking every motel we passed. Don wanted to try Texas-30, which was bigger than the road we were on. I wanted a Motel 8 and peace. We compromised by continuing cautiously.

We made it to Corsicana. By then, stress levels were maxed.

Corsicana, Texas

Another hotel. More money out the window. This month’s budget is…not great. But safety first.

The surprise twist: no restaurants within walking distance, and delivery apps weren’t operating for the safety of their drivers. I genuinely asked out loud, “Where am I?” After being in a dry county in Arkansas and now a food desert, we caved and drove to Jack in the Box. Not our style, but survival food counts.

The hotel did have a hot tub, so we took that win. Little things matter on weeks like this.

The next day, Don had a string of meetings, and I watched a truck spin out on ice and land in a ditch trying to enter the interstate. Message received, universe. We stayed another night.

The hotel was pet-friendly (huge relief), and the front desk had the sweetest German Shepherd named Sweetie. Lucky was unimpressed, but I was delighted.

Another day of boredom. Another hit to the budget. At least it was warm, and the water worked. Breakfast was included, which felt like winning something. Lunch was hummus and veggies, no stove required. Grubhub came back online, and I ordered way too much food, mostly because boredom makes me hungry. We ate well. I finished my CDME assignment. I walked on the treadmill to hit my steps. Not ideal, but something.

By Day 3, we were ready. Truly ready.

Austin, Texas (Finally)

Reaching Claudia’s house felt like reaching an oasis that kept moving farther away every time we thought we saw it. We left Corsicana around noon and arrived around 8pm! What should have been a three-hour drive somehow became 8 hours.

Where did the time go?

• Two hours of Don’s meetings in the Salado public library parking lot 

• Extra drive time choosing safer roads (thank you, Google Maps for the “not plowed” feature) 

• And Austin traffic. So much traffic. Without an accident. Just…traffic.

Seeing Claudia instantly softened everything. Stress down. Anxiety down. Grumpiness evaporated. She has that effect. Peace and love radiate from her.

The ice was finally gone enough for a 5K walk in her hilly neighborhood (hello glutes). Lucky loved walking without ice underfoot. Introducing her to Lucy and Cocoa (two energetic pups) was surprisingly smooth after slow intros and lots of treats. I was proud of all of them.

Claudia and Thomas are vegan and master chefs, which means every meal was incredible. The lasagna deserves its own paragraph. Dinner with family a was one of those nights that stays with you, the laughter, the shared memories, the comfort of people who know you.

I even did a Hot Vinyasa class at Claudia and Thomas’ Del Sol Studio. I survived. Took breaks. Managed the heat. Complained less than expected.

Saturday morning, we weren’t quite ready to leave, so we added Pedernales Falls State Park. I’m so glad we did. Limestone everywhere, low water levels, wide open space. Lucky loved it. Oatmeal Cookie break courtesy of Claudia and one of those quiet moments you wish you could bottle.

Before we left, Claudia sent us off with muffins, snacks, granola, coffee creamer, and Bumble, the sloth stuffed animal, named after a shared memory from playing Herd Mentality. Bumble is officially part of the journey now.

Mausi, Jean, we’re okay. We’re tired. We’ve been colder than planned. We’re spending more than planned. But we’re safe, loved, and still moving: slowly, and carefully.