My weekends wash away

But my dreams keep coming true...

After the very disappointing realisation that I wouldn't be able to work for Roadtrip Nation as a roadie during fall, I decided it wouldn't be the worst thing to stick around Austin and salvage what further experience I could get from the Austin City Limits studio.

Granted I've pretty much been on an extended holiday since mid-May, and another trip away to Mexico and New York consolidated an epic summer. So it's taken awhile to get settled, finding a new place to live, but finally I feel like I'm back in the groove again. And Austin went and stole my heart this past month.

I would never have guessed a few years ago that I would end up living and working in Austin, Texas, but it feels perfectly meant-to-be. And a few months ago, I wouldn't have even considered being around to go to the State Fair of Texas or the very hyped-up Austin City Limits music festival. Just goes to show that you've gotta make the most of what's thrown your way.

So the State Fair...freakin' epically hectic!?!?!? From the drive up to Dallas (featuring a pit stop for a flat tire) to the deep-fried goodness and gigantic Ferris wheel, the Fair was everything I had hoped for, except an Oprah sighting.

When we first arrived it was definitely overwhelming. Everyone was gathering for the big football game against Oklahoma, one of our arch rivals. And there was too much for my eyes to take in that I spent the first hour or so trying to keep one eye on the foot-traffic and one on our surroundings. Most of our Dallas group were ready to go home by half-time, but I was very keen to stay longer and watch the night's entertainment. I also had a mission: to eat a deep-fried pop tart smore and ride the giant ferris wheel (the biggest in the u.s.).

I'm glad I stayed because the atmosphere was much more fair-like after the game madness had subsided. Unfortunately, Texas lost...Booo! So Dougie and I staked out spots at the very front for a band I had never heard of before, and rocked the night away amongst the company of die-hard fans and locals. In fact, it was two of these fans that ended up giving us a ride back to the hotel, although the guy may have been drunk (in hindsight, a very bad decision), but we got back in one piece and joined the bigger group for the night's shenanigans.

Let's leave the story there as the rest of the night was a bit messy for some (me not included). Vanda did curse the entire city of Dallas and threaten each and every citizen with her tazer! And we almost broke down in the parking lot of "uptown", but by the early hours I felt safe sitting in an IHOP with Vanda and enjoying my first taste of the institution.