I’m almost finished packing my life into a car, and the reality of leaving Texas is in full force. It won’t be the first time I leave the state, but it will be the first time I do so alone. I won’t see many of you for a few months, if not longer (many of you are already used to that). I’m pretty sure that its all going to hit me at once, as I’m driving my Prius across country to the enchanting melody of Sia’s “Breathe Me”. Wait, maybe that’s from Six Feet Under.

I want to thank everyone for their road trip mixes. I haven’t listened to any of them, and have tried my best not to look at the playlist tracks in order to maintain the element of surprise. It’s pretty much the one thing about tomorrow that won’t be entirely depressing.

I’m still in the process of trying to rework my website by the end of summer, so stick tight.

I don’t have too much to add, and don’t want this to become an overly emotion farewell to my birth state. I’ll leave you with a few fun facts about Austin pre-Ryan (September 2004).

• The average price of gasoline was $1.77
• UT had only won three National Championships in football.
• The world barely knew anything about a young god named Vince Young.
• The Frost building was less than a year old.

I’ve loved my time here, and will always look back on it fondly. That’s not an easy task in a state like Texas.

Ryan