A TEXAS ROAD-TRIP RECAP

Greetings from Austin Mural Restoration Project on South 1st Street

A Type-A(shley) sighting at the San José Hotel.

A trip to ATX in the summer requires a pitstop at Lick Ice Cream. I sampled Texas Sheet Cake and Caramel Salt Lick. Delish! 

Whole Foods hails from Austin, so we picked up a few snacks on our way out of the city. I was jealous of the gorgeous flower selection. Obvi.

So grateful to have spent four days away with this guy!

Our stay at El Cosmico did not disappoint.

Our humble abode, the Spartan Mansion—complete with air conditioning and colorful striped robes!

Ballroom Marfa in all its glory.

I couldn't wipe the silly grin from my face after seeing Prada Marfa. It was one of those pinch-me moments.

I can't stop thinking about the amazing Latte Macchiato and Waffles I devoured at the Swiss cafe, Squeeze Marfa.

A Texas babymoon wouldn't be complete unless a Vulture takes out the driver's side window of my beloved Rig. Poor girl!

VULTURES ARE THE NEW HONEY BADGERS AND OTHER ROAD-TRIP REVELATIONS:

• Our arrival in Austin was delayed a few hours on Saturday due to traffic in San Antonio. Over the past year, Flyboy and I have grown to despise I-35; however, we were bound and determined to not let the pesky weekend road work affect our little getaway. That's nothing an Iced Grande Caramel Macchiato can't fix. Am I right?! Hooray for SBUX!

• When we arrived in ATX, we checked-in to our hotel, and I was ready to hit the ground running. All I could think about were the fun-tivities on our itinerary and four days away from the Swell Rio routine. Yee haw! This whole pregnancy thing was NOT going to slow me down. My family calls me Turbo for a reason. Just watch these short legs move.

• After waddling around the city for five miles in 102-degree heat, I finally admit defeat. My bladder is full AGAIN, my appendages are swollen, and that chambray dress I originally felt kinda cute in is now sopping wet from sweat. Thankfully, a handful of delightful stores keeps me upbeat and persistent. Half-way through our afternoon trek, Flyboy and I decide it might be a good idea to grab something small to eat. We stop at an adorable seafood and oyster bar called Perla's for some calamari and drinks. I can't help but wonder if everyone is staring at me because I'm sweating profusely. I hope and pray it's just that pregnant glow that people brag about. Yeah, right....

• We returned to the hotel around 6:30 pm with the intent to cool off and rest before heading out for a fancy pants dinner. Ha! You know you've been married for 6.5 years and you're 33 weeks pregnant when your Saturday night out on the town looks more like room service, pajama pants, and compression socks. Seriously, who are we?!

EL COSMICO

TEEPEES, TRAILERS, AND TENTS—OH, MY!
El Cosmico Images via Dwell Magazine

I remember the morning like it was yesterday. Flyboy called me and said there was a really good chance we could return to Swell Rio after our assignment in Hawaii. It was a typical Lil' Puna Saturday. He was on a mission, and I was sitting in the office at my desk probably pinning nonsense before an afternoon shift at J.Crew. In that moment, I distinctly recall laughing hysterically as soon as he mentioned the possibility. I can only assume it was to prevent myself from crying—I'd save those tears for later when I'd inevitably debrief over the phone with my mom. As soon as the initial shock subsided, I automatically thought of Marfa and my Life List. Looking back at our first stint in Texas, I had regrets that we never made it to this quirky town. If we did in fact return to the Lone Star State, then I'd finally get the chance to cross this item off the ol' bucket list. Fast forward 1.5 years and here we are.

Like any couple expecting their first child, we looked at the calendar and realized our days as a duo were numbered. Holy cannoli, Batman! What did we even accomplish during our first six years of marriage?! We thought long and hard about all of the things we intended to do before Max's arrival (i.e. create a stationery line, compete in the Ironman World Championship, own a dozen Bernese Mountain Dogs, etc.). When we realized that none of this stuff was going to happen any time soon, we reassessed and thought we should start small. Hmm, how about that trip to Marfa? So, last week we picked a few dates, made arrangements for the fur kids, and plotted our long weekend in Austin and Marfa. I suppose you could call it a Babymoon, but it's our attempt to keep Texas weird and wonderful before we welcome our little guy in October—just the two of us, the way it all began.

Naturally, a trip to Marfa would not be complete without a night spent at El Cosmico. Y'all, I almost burst with excitement when I received an email that said our reservation had been confirmed. Hello, Spartan Mansion, meet the Fines, party of two! Yahoo! I've been dreaming about this moment for years, and the idea that it will soon become a reality makes me want to skip and do cartwheels simultaneously. It's flipping HUGE! Yes, the fact that I'm this elated to pay to stay in a trailer (glamping, anyone?!) is a wee bit alarming, but YOMO—you only Marfa once! While we're still 13 days away from our little adventure, I'm having the best time devising an itinerary—a Type-A(shley) dream—and thinking about all the things we'll see (The Judd Foundation, Cast + Crew, Marfa Book Company, Prada Marfa, etc.) and eat (any of these restaurants). Eek, I can't wait to share our experience with you!

Happy Tuesday, m' dears! Do you have something fun to look forward to? Do tell.