Back in 2015 I made a post on Reddit about the morality at exit hopping. At the time it seemed like such a life hack that I couldn't believe it, and I ran to Reddit to make sure I wasn't missing a reason to not do it (I wasn't). Today nine years later the post clearly marks for me the time when I had mostly optimized my commute to work and I wasn't taking the back route of Spicewood Springs to get to my office anymore.
I have had many posts here about my work commute, which makes sense when you realize how much of my time during my life in Austin has been spent driving to and from my office. But this particular aspect of my commuting days is interesting because of the effect the old route had on me, it does not feel like a decade ago when I was taking the underpass below 360 every day to get home but apparently it was. I can clearly remember driving by day after day seeing people play in the "Greenbelt" which was basically a stream and some trails right next to the road. As I saw these families park and play during what was for me the start of a long drive I kept telling myself "one day I want to stop here and play too." Day after day this fantasy built, until I stopped going that way and suddenly these wishes just got filed away in the great "undone" folder in my mind.
This Saturday I found myself driving back from South Austin for Wyatt's fourth birthday party with Finn in tow and nowhere to really go. For some reason as I passed the exit I have taken hundreds of times to start my commute and the thought suddenly hit me "today is the day I can go play there!" I took Finn down the route I know so well and parked in the spots I have seen many park in before. The parking spot was rough and a lady almost took me out as I was getting Finn out of the car, which had me questioning this spontaneous move. But as we walked towards the stream I became overwhelmed with emotions and nostalgia: I was FINALLY doing it and with Finn too!
Behind the stream I have driven over hundreds of times me and Finn found a nice trail. We followed it for a bit and Finn got really excited about "going on an adventure." I have been on trails in Austin and been surprised by homeless camps, but this trail felt pretty safe with not many people (really only the woman who tried to mow us over and her dog) and a cool bench I got his picture on. In fact it was surprising how quickly it felt like we got into "wilderness." We could still hear the cars from 360, but otherwise you wouldn't know we were in the middle of a big city or at the bottom of the hill I have worked on for over a decade. I checked my phone and this trail was called the "Bull Creek Lower Trail" with a cool loop that would allow us to come back without having to turn around.
After I felt comfortable I knew where we were going I took a bit to enjoy what was in front of me. The nostalgia melted away and the commutes melted away and suddenly I was just in the woods with Finn. His enthusiasm was off the charts, he was happen to be hiking along with me. He claimed it was better than Disneyland, better than Saturday school even! I tried my best to soak up the moment, and make sure I didn't miss the chance to make a new great memory. Overall I was really impressed with how well he navigated the terrain, and I appreciated getting a bonding moment with him that lined up with what my priorities have been for him since before he was born.
After we got back to the car I took him up Spicewood Springs and stopped at the park there for a little extra hiking since he seemed excited to do more. These trails I haven't been to since we went there for pregnancy pictures with Luna, but it was a very nice day and we found a way to get away from the crowd and find a small tree shaded shore near a pond where we could be at peace and practice our breathing while sitting on a log. I enjoyed getting time to talk with him and bond with him, it felt like both the end of a thread (those hundreds of commutes when I wished I could have stopped) and the start of a new one where hopefully being outdoors with Finn is a more regular occurrence.
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