I keep hearing it. I keep hearing how I’ve changed since moving to Austin, how much happier I am, how big of a difference this city and this job have made.

I can’t really deny that it’s true. Towards the end there, at my last job, I was miserable. I hadn’t done anything I enjoyed or that was challenging in a long time and budget issues meant we lived with the word layoffs buzzing constantly around our heads. I had headaches constantly and it was totally a shame because I loved that job and that place once.

Houston was never a great fit for me. Sure, when people asked, I told them it was fine. That the traffic and lack of things to do and being away from all my friends was fine. But really, I can see now with distance, I kind of hated it. Fine, I suppose, was the correct word. I got my degree and had a good job and lived just fine. But Houston is not a place where you meet people naturally. All the friends I made in art school lived on the other side of town (an hour drive in Houston traffic) and at work, there was only one other person my age. I often just lived as a hermit in the evenings and on weekends. I am a homebody naturally and it is an all too easy habit for me to fall into.

I love my job so far. I love the challenge and the hectic pace and the people and the food. Last week, we had a shot luge and a money booth at a meeting. At 9AM. But, beyond that, I even enjoy when I’m alone in my cube, headphones on and code laid out across my monitors. It is always where I have felt the most comfortable and I think I have the potential to be really good at this. I learn something new every day. I don’t expect to love it forever or to want to stay for the rest of my life. That has simply never been my way. But for a few years, for several years, I could happily stay and learn and love what I do.

Austin was never supposed to be where I ended up. This was the move that was finally going to take me out of the state. But things work out as they do and here I am. I don’t think a better fit for me is out there. Austin is just so perfect for a geek like me. I can turn to anyone I’ve met and say “It’s my secret wish to be a novelist one day,” and they’d say “Why secret? I want to open a model airplane store someday!” OK, so maybe not model airplanes but illustrate a graphic novel, design a line of men’s shirts, own all the Lego sets, etc. People’s passions run deep and true here and I love that.

There is always something to do in Austin. There are always movies or events or conferences or festivals. There are weird shops and cool restaurants and arty theaters. I’ve been here two months and feel like I haven’t seen a twelfth of it. I’ve made new friends and gotten involved in after work activities and Aimee and Josh and Eric and Brent are here.

And I think this is home. For now. For awhile. Maybe for a long while.

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