On Saturday morning I slipped away in the middle of the night to jump on another plane.

This time Benjamin had to stay behind.

I let him fall asleep in my bed so I could watch him drift while I packed. He spent his last few moments awake begging me to stay, “Mommy, take me with you. I want to go to Texas too.”

“Not this time, baby, but some day soon.”

Texas is a place Benjamin only knows from the pictures he’s seen scattered throughout the house. They’re tucked in places where I’ll see them every day, constant reminders of a time when I was completely in love – not with a man, but with a place.

Like the one on my dresser mirror of my knees wrapped around the edge of an inner tube floating down the Guadalupe River. And Benjamin’s favorite, the picture on the fridge of my sister and I beaming in a self-portrait we snapped before heading off to a concert.

Texas, it seems, will always be tugging at my soul and begging me to come back.

I told Benjamin stories about the days ahead while his eyes grew heavier.

“You’ll be at your daddy’s, then your grandma’s and then Mommy will be home.”

Rather than actually packing outfits I was just shoving all of my favorite tops and pants into the suitcase hoping they’d all look okay together. I had run out of time. Turns out leaving for a trip, even a work trip, means more work on either side of the deal, before you leave and as soon as you get back.

But it was worth it.

The SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin is the most well-respected gathering of geeks (self-professed digital obsessed professionals like myself) on the planet. Needless to say, it was just a little crazy. I spent the days hopping from panel to panel and the nights buzzing from party to party.

Like this one.

Where I had one of my favorite beers (without a cigarette)

and then sat on a hay stack to hear the band.

Then I kept walking along South Congress so I could window shop.

Drool over these.

And take a few more pictures.

I have more stories to tell but I’ll have to save them from another day. I’m absolutely exhausted. And tomorrow is a big day – a very big day – it’s Benjamin’s third birthday.

We’ll be taking it easy.

Just me spoiling him with hugs, kisses, cake and presents. But come Saturday we’ll have a few guests invading our little place. I invited them all. I just forgot to factor in their height, weight and body mass – there’s no way everyone is going to fit.

Should be interesting.

In the meantime, tell me about your favorite place on Earth. Come on. We each have one.

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Some things never change …

My basement had a minor flood (not complaining because my little brother lives in Iowa City and has been sandbagging for weeks). Anyhow – while sorting through boxes of wet stuff I found my old journal and stumbled across this entry.

I was leaving Texas after six months there as a single 23-year-old and a morning radio co-host. Needless to say – the cowboys were plentiful and so were the lessons learned. I wrote them down, but didn’t follow them.

September 16, 2003

Lessons I learned here in Texas:

1. Don’t sleep with men – it messes with their heads. They’re better as friends.

2. Don’t date four men at once. You forget who’s who.

3. Hang out with everyone but do NOT trust everyone.

4. Don’t drink too much around co-workers – unless – no, just never. Because most of them are sober.

But sometimes not following the rules leads to little miracles, like meeting a French-Canadian, marrying him and then creating the cutest little boy on Earth who happens to be the best thing that ever happened to me.

[Photo Credit: Yummy Cowboys]

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