Ready for a change

Now on my ninth week of the year working down in Texas (out of only sixteen weeks in 2026!), I'm practically a resident. After all my weekends popping back over to Cali, it was Nico's turn to fly to me for a change. And it was more than that: as we start envisioning our return-to-Europe timeline, a pitstop in Texas for the tax breaks when selling some stock has its appeal. Pair that with the warmth of the Texas-based Neuralink team and it really seems time for a change. Nico's job went fully remote last fall, so we're one real estate deal and a U-Haul truck away from some very big life updates. But first, we had to get a little taste of non-work-time Texas. After several folks recommended Eeyore's birthday, an annual picnic and party in a park with very hippie/circus/Burner vibes, we set our date for an Austin preview weekend.

Kicking off our weekend with dinner at Lazarus Brewing and a Spurs game at Chalmer's, where I got to taste a (frozen) dirty Shirley, the drink of choice of my new favorite heroine, Princess Donut of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, a set of books I've been absolutely devouring.

In the end, Eeyore's was fairly anti-climactic: the light breeze that was blowing across town was stifled in the park, making the temperatures unbearable for a pair of Texas noobs. After a quick round and a selfie with the birthday boy, we continued our adventures onward. Saturday's highlight wound up being the beer and wine festival at the German-Texan Heritage Society, where I got a most fabulous fascinator and Nico reveled in the tourist brochure that highlighted on its final page, as a deal clincher on life in Germany, that it was "just across the border from France!" - he's not wrong, the French would never reciprocate if they produced a similar brochure. Properly libated, we made it over to Congress Ave Bridge in time for the nightly emergence of the bats, one of my favorite quirks of this city. Austin has the largest urban bat population in North America, and it seems they all decided to move in under the same bridge. Apparently they do wonders in managing the local insect population. And they emerge each evening in these lovely snakelike cloud formations at twilight, drawing crowds daily.

Saturday in Austin: Eeyore's Birthday, a swing past the capitol, Maifest at the German-Texan Heritage Society, and bats!

On Sunday, we made it over to Barton Springs, a charming natural body of water that's home to an endangered species of salamander. You can somehow find yourself hugged in by trees as you float in the springs while still enjoying views across the Austin skyline: my perfect version of urban nature. Kids and adults of all ages were relaxing together in the water, the chill of which was very welcome in the Texas heat. I hadn't realized just how very much I've missed summers after 8 years out in the Bay Area. Swimming, floating, and twisting around in the water to escape the heat brought me back to some of my favorite childhood experiences, some I hope we'll get to share with our kids if and when this gestational carrier adventure finally takes off. I looked around and could definitely feel myself calling this place home.

Sunday in Austin: Austin Rotisserie to sample the "French roots with Austin flare" whose catering thrills the folks in my office, a dip in Barton Springs, and a tour along the Colorado River with some neighborhood shopping.

From there, we wandered along the Colorado River and did a bit of neighborhood shopping. I was amazed how walkable the city center was: we never once had to call an uber. If our journey back to Europe allows us some time in Austin, I think we'd be targeting a home in the Holly or Riverside neighborhoods just along the riverfront. There were so many fun bars and restaurants; we could count ourselves among the adorably enthusiastic crowds gathering nightly for the bats; a simple stroll out our front door could take us down to the Colorado River path where I've been enjoying runs for the past couple months.

How can I not have a soft spot for a city this covered in art?

The city seems quirky, welcoming, a place for people at all stages of life. In short, it's a place we could belong, a place to be happy for a time.

Restaurant Weeks 2026

Oakland and Berkeley Restaurant Weeks snuck up on us this year. I hardly get a day and a half per week in California since our return from Italy, in which time I do my best to catch up on all my non-work life from circus classes to friends to basic chores around the home. We nearly missed Oakland's entirely, squeezing in just one Rockridge destination: Forge. American comfort food with absolutely American portion sizes. It was fine enough but not some place we need to hit up again.

American comfort food at Forge, Oakland Restaurant Week 2026

We were more prepared for Berkeley’s Restaurant Week a couple weeks later, having devoted some of my airport wait time to doing homework on the dining selections. We squeezed in two restaurants and even a featured coffee shop.

Berkeley Restaurant Week 2026: Anja's with Nico, Michelle, Brian, and Sven! Featuring a lovely rose garden; buckwheat pancakes with pepper, carrot, asparagus, beans, berries, mint, and coconut (??); and breakfast beer!

Berkeley Restaurant Week 2026: Trumer Pils. Because beer isn't only a breakfast beverage.

The highlight was easily Anja’s, a German brunch restaurant (breakfast beer optional) with an absolutely charming rose garden outdoor dining area. Trumer Pils Brewery was also a delight. And Roaming Bean Coffee on the Berkeley Marina was worth the bike ride, even if Nico and his glasses may have had differing opinions.

A rainy ride over to Roaming Bean for Restaurant Week coffees.

For someone who hardly even calls the East Bay home anymore, I feel I did Restaurant Weeks right. And now I’ve got a new, affordable, and mildly boozy brunch destination to add to our weekend agendas.