First Night/Day in Austin!

We’re here! After conquering a few stop-and-go highway traffic issues, we are finally in Austin. Our group arrived in Austin on the last evening of one of the largest music festivals in Austin, SXSW. On top of that crowd,  the main night life area, 6^th street, was lined with people who were wearing GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day. The atmosphere was full of celebration, and seeing this side of the Austin culture was amazing. The next morning, however, was calm, cloudy, and  slightly humid. Our group took a walk around the city with our morning coffee with the weather seeming to be representing the relaxation and recovery that the rest of the downtown felt. Our walk took us down 6^th street, through the University of Texas campus, around the Texas state capitol, and back to Austin’s First United Methodist Church Family Center where our group will be staying for the week. The Family Center not only has the essentials (kitchen, shower etc.), but it also has a full basketball court and an amazing view of the capitol building. We are grateful for their hospitality.  Our contact at the Family Center was really friendly. She made us feel at home with stories about the church and the statue on top of the capitol.

                Our group spent the afternoon preparing for the first two days of volunteering. We got our first round of food from Whole Foods. This Whole Foods was quite unique.  It is the original Whole Foods store,  and it had three different levels for the basement parking garage. As we went up the escalator to the main level, one of the first produce displays we saw was for Johnson’s Backyard Garden! This was an important part of our experience because we saw what impact our site made in their community before we even had a chance to work with them yet. Sunday evening was spent watching the KU basketball game at a sports bar called The Black Sheep Lodge. KU alumni had reserved part of the restaurant for a KU basketball watch party.  It was nice to end our day as a tourist, as feeling part of a family again. The close game made the energy in the building even more exciting. With a winning score of 63-60, we left The Black Sheep Lodge as champs, and we were ready for a good night’s sleep to be at our best the next day.