Hey friends,
Greetings from London!
We've had a lot of conversations since we've been back about our time in Austin. There's a lot of buzz around the city and people are curious if we liked it or not.
The short answer is, yes, we loved it.
If you want to know why, check out our latest video: Why We Moved to Austin.
Claire and I share our top five favorite parts about the city and no, it's not just the BBQ.
Let's hop to it.
One Idea | Less Plans, More Fun?
The BBQ was great. The breakfast tacos, maybe even better. But the thing I really loved about Austin was the spontaneity.
We'd meet new friends on a Friday, and make plans to see them again on a Sunday.
A friend would text and invite us over for dinner that same night, and we'd go.
This might seem pretty basic to some of you, but after living in London for the past 5+ years, it was hugely refreshing.
London is a city that loves its plans. People are busy, enjoying all the city has to offer.
It means that it's not uncommon to have to set a date 3-4 weeks out just to grab dinner with a couple of close friends.
Even if these are plans you actually want to do, there is somehow a mental and emotional weight to having a calendar that is booked up weeks in advance.
I do believe having some plans is nice. It gives you something to look forward to, a light at the end of the tunnel perhaps when you're facing long days at work.
But being free and flexible felt so good.
I'm not sure what causes the different vibes between London and Austin, but my hunch tells me it's the size of the city.
London is enormous. It can easily take 30-45 minutes to meet a friend who lives on the other side of town. Plus, with so many people, your social network is much more vast. This is great in some ways, but it's challenging to keep up with so many friends all the time.
In contrast, Austin is tiny, maybe 1/10 the size of London. Pretty much everything is accessible in less than 10 minutes of driving.
Claire and I were also new, so we didn't know as many people, and thus we had fewer social obligations to attend to.
But even amongst the people we met who lived in Austin for years, there was a sense that they didn't really need to make all these plans. Friends were close by, the city was smaller, and honestly, there's less to do in Austin than London.
David Perrell put it nicely when he wrote, "Austin is a city that feels like a town."
It has the culture, the restaurants, and some of the energy of a city, but it has the convenience, friendliness, and laidback attitude of a town.
As we've settled back into London, Claire and I have both been trying to see as many friends as we can before we head off to Lisbon in September. We're making plans. Lots of them.
It's been tons of fun, but it does make me think.
Is the key to having more fun to have less plans?
Thanks for reading,
Connor
If you are curious to read more about Austin, I love this article from Paul Millerd, as well as this aforementioned one by David Perrell.
New Video!
Words of Wisdom
Over-planning kills magic.
— Anon