A New Chapter: The Best and the Worst of Week One

A little over a week into my new life in Austin and I've already experienced many highs and lows. From the stress of finding new classes to the fun of hanging out with friends, UT Austin is unlike anything I've done before, not that I was expecting anything different.

Let's start with the worst of the past week. On Saturday the 31st of August, I went on my very first group bike ride here in Austin. Coming from the flatlands of Houston, I knew my very first ride would be painful as I would desperately attempt to conquer the mountains all around the city. With this in mind, I carefully selected a group ride from Mellow Johnny's advertised as "a great fit for the intermediate rider." As a four year veteran to the sport, I thought this was a great selection for my first Austin ride. Six minutes into the ride I quickly corrected that notion. We hit incredibly steep mountains hills and my heart rate flew well above my theoretical maximum. Legs burning, I pedaled as fast as I could up the walls that the Austin riders seemed to not feel. Being dropped by the group, I felt discouraged and defeated. Back home I'm considered a very good rider, so this crushing low damaged my confidence and my pride.

Pretty much my Saturday...

I staggered into the halfway point ready to call it a day after only fifteen miles (a laughable distance for the seasoned cyclist as we typically ride 40-80 miles on a Saturday ride). However, I made it back home, body weary and mind pessimistic about my future of Austin cycling. To top this disastrous ride, two days later I got miserably lost on an out-and-back ride which literally means you ride somewhere, turn around, and go back the same way. (I am very talented at getting lost apparently...) Though I started riding away from both the campus and downtown, I somehow found myself in the heart of downtown thoroughly bypassing where I was supposed to go. To add on to my frustration and misery, the clouds had to open up and literally rain on my parade.

 Needless to say this addition experience furthered my feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. I was ready to quit cycling as a whole. But finally, with help of my iPhone and more aimless riding, I finally made it back to Duren.

Since then I have ridden almost everyday and thankfully I haven't gotten lost again, though I have been dropped multiple times and even had to walk up an incredibly steep hill (the ultimate shame for a cyclist). But each day gets a little better and I remind myself that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger (thanks Kelly Clarkson).

Now for the best part of my week! It's so difficult deciding what the best part of being at UT should be. I have loved making many new friends (I will learn everyone's name eventually...I hope), experiencing college classes, playing various games like werewolves and Cards Against Humanity,  eating fantastic food, and I could go on and on. I think really just being in Austin and at UT is really the best part of my past week. I felt proud to be here, inspired to be around so many other like-minded students (especially us Plan II-ers), and simply happy to be here. Like Mr. Kanamori told his fourth year students, "We only have one life. So let's really enjoy it, okay?" I plan to spend the next four years doing that and more.