I (32F) usually try to be extremely thorough and well structured when I post something like this but it’s 1:09am and I just want to be vulnerable with you strangers tonight.

I’ve lived in Texas for 99% of my life and graduated from TXST so I was always nearby or coming to Austin. After a year away, I officially moved to Austin in 2018. I was 24. I’ve done all the Austin musts— ACL, trail of lights, art pop-ups, farmers markets, COTA, rooftops, clubbing, … you get the point. Along the way I’ve made plenty of friends, a handful of them I can call my best friends. And of course, I’ve dated through multiple channels— meeting in person, the apps, dating events, all of that. And now that I’m 32, 33 in March, I feel like there’s almost nothing left for me here.

I hate feeling this way. I love living here. My career is here, my friends are here. I’ve been blessed to be able to watch the city grow both in ways I love and ways I absolutely loathe. It is home. But somewhere and somehow it lost its shine for me. I no longer feel like I live in a small city with tons of possibilities and lots of opportunity to build community.

I often feel like I’m living in a college town with adult fraternities and sororities made of transplants with less than 3 years of Austin under their belt. And I feel like to be part of any circle I have to be super fit and hot, know someone first or I’m required to have something to offer as a transaction— and I do have benefits to offer, but that’s not what I want as a foundation for any type of relationship.

I’m successful, confident and attractive. I’m a one income household, I’m active in the gym, I’m outdoorsy, I love to game (board and PC), I love coffee, going out to eat, hiking, etc. and yet it feels like there’s no community for me here?? Just one-on-one to small group friendships. These days I often keep to myself if I’m not with one or a few friends. I like being at home, at peace, on Discord with friends around the country.

*I admit the Discord piece might be a detriment to my IRL social life because it can fulfill the need for socialization, but it truly has provided me with a community I wasn’t expecting to find. My goal is to find the balance.*

Equally, I haven’t been on a date in a year. I had an eventful year and took a break to address messes from my 20s and stabilize myself financially. Now that I *have* more stability in my life, I have some time to invest in a potential partner. But I absolutely refuse to get back on the apps bc it feels like everyone just recycles each other from them. Not to mention how dangerous they can be for women.

In an ideal world, I will be taking steps to join extra cirriculars and indulging in hobbies that place me around the right people. But do these spaces exist where I don’t need to be the Austin Tour & Lore Guide™️ for people who moved here during the boom?

And how do you do it when you have a job that drains your social battery, a dog at home, a gym routine, etc?? I just don’t understand how people have the energy or make the time.

I think all of this boils down to: I’m feeling fatigued with my current life in Austin and I need help bringing it back to life. I used to be a social butterfly and now I feel quite the opposite.

I’m hoping some of you will guide me and those of you who have been here for 5+ years can give me hope that just because my life in Austin is starting to look different, doesn’t mean there’s nothing left for me. I can handle a little tough love because I know some of this is due to lack of effort on my part. I just don’t want to waste my time in the wrong places.

Thank you so much for reading.

Y’all nasty AF, left behind panties in the Waymo is crazy

Leif Johnson Ford agreed to pay the Lake Travis school district $92,000 per year for the next five years to sponsor the turf where the high school’s six-time state championship football team plays its home games, according to documents obtained by the American-Statesman.

The dealer also had to pay $25,000 in initial costs to design and install the signage at the newly renovated stadium, the documents show. 

The sponsorship came as the stadium underwent a renovation that was part of a $48.3 million funding package that expanded its capacity to 11,090 — an increase of nearly 4,000 seats from the previous limit. 

Big ass dog in a shopping cart being pushed into HEB as I came up. Saw an officer working as security and let him know. He nodded and said ok, thanks.

Impressively, they did something about it as I saw them carrying the big ass dog out to leave soon after. They didn’t even have a leash for this dog and this wasn’t a small size carry around doggie.

Of course I saw another smaller one in the store while shopping and as I got into the elevator to leave I saw a woman hopping out of another elevator with her leashed dog.

I felt like going back up on a mission to help end this battle of inconsiderate assholes bringing dogs in the store, but I settled for my one bounty.

Voting info: https://lwvaustin.org/
Source: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/nov-2026-turnout-tracker/

Please vote. It’s really important. Just go do it. It won’t take long. You got this.

Blurry quality, but i thought it was interesting as it's daytime performers rather than headliners (I'm not sure who the performers are)

I already voted, so now this is where my mind goes. Saw several of these today and realized the double negative implication of putting the circle and line over Doge.

The end of my random Tuesday night thoughts.

Hey everyone! So I’m wondering what are some activities I can do with my toddler on or before Halloween which are kinda Halloween themed? Is there a light festival or anything similar? We go around the neighborhood every day to look at the decor and I was thinking of going to Home Depot lol to see if there is Halloween decor there but is there anything around town or parks that are decorated with pumpkins etc? Thanks!

My car was stolen out of my driveway in South Austin (sweet water glen) sometime after midnight but before noon Sunday morning the 25th. It’s a White 2017 Audi q5 LP# SPW 1731, it has a roof rack otherwise no decals or stickers. The windshield sticker went out in 2024. If anyone by chance sees it or has any leads please reach out. I’ve made a police report and the now waiting with no answers in sight is utterly devastating.

God Bless you all! Thanks again!

A portion of Zilker Park's Great Lawn will reopen Saturday, Oct. 31, following weeks of restoration work after the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The western section of the lawn will remain accessible through the holiday season, Austin Parks and Recreation announced Tuesday. The rest of the lawn will be used for preparations for the annual Trail of Lights celebration.

Not in getting them - I have that piece tied down.

I’ve had post concussion syndrome for years.

I’ve managed to…you guessed it, concuss myself again.

Looking for treatment recommendations.

Currently based in Jonestown, so closer to there would be great, and preferably take Aetna.

Did anybody drive past that fire on Mopac headed south this morning around Anderson?

I was driving north and couldn't tell if it was a vehicle or what, but it was a pretty big fire! Traffic is going to be backed up headed south for a while most likely.

In a city where affordability has long been a sticking point, Austin renters now have a reason to celebrate: Living alone may be more attainable here than in any other major U.S. metro.

Austin topped a new Apartments.com ranking of the nation's most affordable metros for renters looking to ditch the roommates.

Extracted the best frame from the motion photo.

EDIT: Reddit appears to have converted the video to a single frame (second image).

For fellow Austinites that have been here for a long time, what do you remember as the turning point for Austin going from a smaller government/college town to the city it has become today? For me, it was when the Frost Bank Tower was built. At the time, there was a city ordinance that no building could be taller than the Capitol. Frost Bank Tower was the first building to get an exemption to build taller than the Capitol. The skyline forever changed after that and city growth was more noticeable.