The problem is both of us
For a year and a half, I've been considering leaving Austin. In my 2022 recap, I wondered, "I'm not sure I like the culture of this city (Austin). But I also haven't ruled out that I'm not the problem."
Turns out, it's both. Austin's culture is not my vibe. The most common question I get is, 'What do you do for work?' and it bothers me to no end. I get the feeling that my value as a person is predicated on my answer.
This tweet-thread by Dianna Allen, even though it's about SF, sums up how I feel about Austin these days:
went to the sf for the weekend
— Dianna Allen-Blalock (@diannamallen) January 29, 2023
and… i think i don’t ever need to visit here again 😂
IRL twitter is NOT my vibe 😂
— Dianna Allen-Blalock (@diannamallen) January 29, 2023
we met up with people (from twitter, usually not a recipe for disaster) but being interviewed about productivity and steps to success when we were just trying to make friends is honestly the worst experience of my life
zero life chats
— Dianna Allen-Blalock (@diannamallen) January 29, 2023
nothing meaningful
only business
not fun
i left my dogs at home for this
never again !!
But my inability to feel at home here has also been a 'me' problem. Any decent-sized city has a good variance of people, and now that I'm learning how to have healthier relationships, I'm finding healthier people. My friendships are lovely these days!
But my friends don't fit the 'norm' of 2023 Austin. And that's okay for now, but, do I really want to build a life in a city that gives me the ick?