As I begin to write this blog post, the calendar reminds me. Of not just the fact that another year has gone by, but that a quarter of the 21st century is complete! The feeling is as scary as it is exhilarating.

A lot has happened since the year 2000, of course. Mankind has come a long way, and so have I along with it. But reflections on the state of humanity can wait for another time.

Prologue

I got the opportunity to visit a friend of mine in Austin, Texas, for New Year’s Eve. This was my first time visiting the Lone Star State, and the experience was pleasantly surprising. Austin, while being a decently large tier-2 city in the US, still has a sort of quaint and calming vibe to it—I don’t know if it’s the thriving local music scene, the presence of a university in the heart of the city, the crowd itself or a mix of it all.

Here’s a travelogue of sorts from this fun trip. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to end 2024. :)

Live Music Capital of the World

Yes, you read that right.
Austin gets that honor, and well-deserved it is indeed.

The vibe on New Year’s Eve in downtown Austin was truly energetic. We got to attend a (free!) open air live concert in the heart of the city at Auditorium Shores by the American rock band Third Eye Blind playing to a lively audience all evening, up until the clock struck midnight. And there was the whole shebang, from food vendors serving local delights to a spectacular display of fireworks against a backdrop of the Austin skyline.

While exploring the city on foot, I couldn’t help but notice a trend of live music nearly everywhere we went. What caught my eye (or should I say ear) was that the music was not your everyday pop (yes, LA, I’m looking at you) but had a distinct local flavor to it. And indeed, turns out, Austin earned the moniker of The Live Music Capital of the World back in ‘91, with more live music venues per capita than any other city in the United States.

From rock and hip-hop to jazz and blues, Austin’s music scene has something for everyone and goes quite well with the city’s ethos of Keep Austin Weird. I hope to time my next visit to the city with the Austin City Limits music festival.

Circuit of the Americas

Admittedly, I’m not really a Formula 1 fan. But hey, having a deep love for driving and road trips, I couldn’t skip this opportunity to visit the first purpose-designed F1 track in the US.

Too bad there wasn’t a practice session going on, let alone a live race to witness, but we did get a chance to try out go-karting (oh my bad, *COTA-karting is the rebrand) in their backyard. There’s this oh-so-uniquely-human desire to soak in the thrill of piloting a vehicle, fueled by adrenaline, as the air rushes past you.

To me, the most fun aspect of the whole experience was perfecting those sharp turns without braking. Step on the gas pedal too much, and you overshoot the turn; hit the brake too hard, and you either skid or lose too much speed such that it ain’t fun no more. After being overtaken by quite a few regulars, the scoreboard was not something I’m proud of, and I will conveniently skip a snapshot of it. (Not available on DM :P)

UT Austin

I’d be remiss not to mention the prestigious University of Texas at Austin as part of this post. UT is a fundamental pillar of Austin’s identity, culture, and economy. It is obviously one of the most well-renowned universities in the world, and the locals look up to it with the deserved respect and pride if not more.

Taking a stroll through the campus, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my days in grad school. There is always something special, something dreamy about college campuses that evoke in me a certain sense of familiarity. As time distances me from my days in university, I hope that this sense of belonging with these temples of knowledge does not fade.

Back to the Comfort of Familiar Horizons

Fortunately, with San Diego, I don’t need words to describe its beauty, for a picture says it all. As the flight is about to touch down with the skyline rushing past the windows, I can sense a distinct sense of joy in the pilot’s voice as he announces the perfect forecast outside.

I will spare you yet another serving of (cliched?) platitudes, but hey, don’t we often forget to count our blessings and tend to overlook how good we have it until much later?

Here’s to beginning 2025 with gratitude.

Happy New Year! :)

P.S.: No AI-based tool was used to ideate or draft this article.