I left Austin for NYC 7 years ago. Here are 9 things I still miss about my old life, and 3 reminders of why I moved.

I moved to Austin successful 2013 from Rockwall, Texas, arsenic a high school senior, aft my set and my parents collapsed up astir the aforesaid time.

At first, life successful Austin was lonely. When I struggled to make friends successful community college, I started taking pictures arsenic an outlet. As I captured Austin's operation of municipality and earthy elements done my lens, my hobby transformed into a passion. This made maine recognize I wanted to study photography, truthful I looked into transferring to a assemblage pinch a coagulated creation programme successful my area.

Eventually, I landed a spot successful the photocommunications section astatine St. Edward's University successful Austin. I minored successful publicity and learned the ins and outs of producing a play college-level publication.

A media convention successful New York City during my elder twelvemonth astatine St. Ed's reminded maine of my East Coast roots. I grew up successful Stamford, Connecticut, and spent my puerility craving a large life successful the large city.

I was moreover much motivated to move arsenic a musician. I thought it wouldn't beryllium excessively difficult to get a set together since NYC is afloat of aspiring artists. Once I graduated, I decided to springiness my soul kid the adulthood she dreamed of.

I've spent the past 7 years moving arsenic a newsman and playing music successful aggregate bands.

I emotion it here. New York feels much for illustration location than immoderate spot I've lived before, and the champion portion is that I made it hap each by myself.

But I still deliberation astir Austin each day. I miss my family, my friends, and my favourite foods. At the aforesaid time, things for illustration sweltering summers and constricted public transit punctual maine why I chose a life successful New York City.

New York is known for being location to galore celebrities, but I've seen respective of my favourite musicians successful Austin.

Events for illustration SXSW, a weeklong euphony show that takes spot successful friendly clubs and pop-up venues astir town, make it easier to tally into your heroes.

In 2015, I saw my favourite band, Ball Park Music, play 7 times astir Austin — successful tents, successful restaurants, and connected mini stages. Even better, I talked to them aft respective shows astir their experiences and musicianship. It felt surreal, and I don't deliberation it could person happened successful a spot for illustration New York.

Austin's nutrient segment is exceptional. While New York City seemingly has it all, I deliberation Austin's queso and kombucha are unmatched connected the East Coast.

From Torchy's Tacos to Velvet Taco, there's nary shortage of unthinkable melted cheesy goodness that I can't look to find successful NYC. The closest point is the hatch greenish chile queso astatine Alamo Drafthouse successful Downtown Brooklyn, which comes from the Austin paper anyway.

Similarly, Texas kombucha brands for illustration Holy Kombucha and Buddha's Brew make different renditions of the probiotic beverage difficult to enjoy. The kombucha drinks I find successful New York's bodegas aren't arsenic refreshing arsenic a Prickly Pear aliases Blood Orange Holy Kombucha. And they don't travel adjacent to the delicious spirit of a Peach Mint Buddha's Brew fermented successful southwest Austin.

I quit drinking 2 years into my life successful New York, and portion of the logic was that a nighttime retired successful NYC is expensive.

I would ne'er dream of spending $12 connected a cocktail for a nighttime retired successful Texas, but that's the norm successful New York.

My favourite barroom successful Austin, Buzz Mill, is unfastened each hours, has a immense outdoor patio, and serves $5 drinks infused pinch fruity, nutty, and different saccharine flavors. Although I don't portion anymore, I for illustration catching up pinch aged friends location erstwhile I visit.

Austin is awesome because you get some the convenience of metropolis surviving and entree to miles of hiking trails that make you consciousness for illustration you're successful the mediate of nowhere.

From the Barton Creek Greenbelt to the Wild Basin Creative Research Center, Austin has much than 400 parks and trails wrong its metropolis limits, offering accessible, free outdoor activities for illustration stone climbing, upland biking, and disc golf.

Here successful New York, spaces for illustration Prospect Park are arsenic adjacent arsenic I tin get to emotion for illustration I'm not successful the metropolis anymore.

I've ne'er been bully astatine sports, but while I lived successful Austin, disc play became 1 of my favourite societal pastimes.

My friends and I utilized to meet astatine parks for illustration Zilker and Wells Branch to flip discs toward baskets. I appreciated disc play because it felt for illustration hiking while playing a game. My buds and I would walk a fewer hours stepping and talking pinch an aerial of competitory energy.

There's only 1 disc play people successful NYC that I'm alert of, truthful I effort to compression a crippled successful erstwhile I sojourn Austin.

I'd alternatively beryllium acold than hot, and successful Austin, it's basking astir of the time.

It's the worst successful the summer, erstwhile temperatures regularly transcend 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While I lived there, it was truthful unbearable that I trim my hairsbreadth conscionable to cool off.

A acold wintertime makes maine admit the outpouring erstwhile it yet comes around. But the bitter upwind successful January, February, and March sometimes makes it consciousness for illustration outpouring will ne'er travel successful NYC.

On these days, I miss the 60-70-degree wintertime afternoons successful Austin.