Tuesday, November 8, 2011

All I Needed

I went missing from the internet last week. Packed my things, warm-weather clothes because I hadn't yet put them away, despite the fact that the Northeast has already seen snow and freezing temperatures (even the air conditioning unit is still in the window. I am so very behind.) I took a plane to Texas, a place I'd never been, to explore and celebrate the wedding of a very good friend.

I like to be prepared for things but it has been a whirlwind few weeks (months?) so I did nothing for this trip. No research. I forgot to rent a car. Packed all the wrong clothes. Wore a wrinkled dress two sizes too big for the wedding. Its a wonder I didn't inadvertently flash anyone.

So when our plane landed, all I knew of Texas were the songs inside me. Amarillo By Morning and If It Wasn't For Texas (George Straight). I kept my eye out for Austin city limit signs, suns high in a Texas sky. Thought about bucking at the county fair. I sang loud and long in the car about the San Antonio Rose. Made Tyler drive to Luckenbach, Texas so I could get Back to the Basics of Love (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson.)

And, as it turned out, I needed no plan. I needed only to wander, to take a listen, to give a look. Aqua pools carved out into white rock. Dry land that stretched out beneath blue sky. Rivers sneaking lazily through a city. Three dollar beers in dark jazz joints. Fingers skipping over piano keys. The loud thwack of the bass.

And all the songs I knew, the only part of these places I could know, were right. All of them creeping like the sigh of the wind, moving the way a person might mosey instead of walk.

Everything I got is just what I got on. And it does seem that's all I needed. Not much more.

5 comments:

  1. My husband just got back from Austin Texas last week. Now he is freezing all the time, here in Utah :)

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  2. Texas can be enchanting. And a vacation with no plans can be awesome. Did you take your notebook? I love tucking one away when I go somewhere new.

    Glad you had a nice time.

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  3. Sometimes having no plan is the best plan. :) Glad you had a nice time in Texas.

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  4. Sometimes it's refreshing to just take off unprepared and let the chips fall where they may! It's hard for me to do (Type A personality and all that..) but it's SO freeing.

    I'm glad your sojourn worked out for you.

    I'm off to Texas myself next week to be there when my Grandson is born! Whoopee!!

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  5. I'm glad you had a grand ole time in Texas...and you looked great at the wedding! :)

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