5 Things I Will Admit a Year After Leaving New York

I say "admit" because though I know these things to be true, I am not necessarily proud of them. But the first one -- yeah, there's definitely some Austin hubris here:

1. Breakfast Tacos Beat the Pants Off Bagels
I love New York bagels. I am snobby about them. Not quite as snobby as Murray's, who won't toast theirs. No. I like it toasted -- an everything bagel with copious amounts of real cream cheese that I can roll my eyes at and scrape off onto the foil, only to rub the last bites into it later.

But breakfast tacos? It's no contest, people. We are talking about a Taco of Breakfast. We are talking about eggs, cheese, beans, potato and avocado, depending on how you like it, in a freshly made tortilla. And everybody knows whatever has avocado in it, wins.

2. I'm Starting to Forget That Owning a Car Is a Luxury, Even in a Town Where You Need One
One time when I was living in Brooklyn, I rented a car so I could drive to Connecticut for a yoga training. All told, it was cheaper than taking the train, given my teaching schedule that weekend.

So one blistery Saturday morning, instead of leaving an hour ahead due to slow weekend trains and a four-avenue walk through snow, I left only 20 minutes early to teach my class before leaving town. I walked 14 paces from the front door of my building to the car, put my stuff down in the front seat, turned on the heat, and drove comfortably all the way to my destination. I arrived at class warm, dry and happy. And I was amazed. Because having a car is an amazing thing, really.

That sentiment stuck with me for many months upon moving back to Texas. Even in traffic, even when I'm late, even when everyone around me is being mean -- I would just sit there thinking, "I am in a freaking car right now. I am not walking or sweating next to many other humans on a subway."

Now not a week goes by without switching on some Deva Premal to assuage my road entitlement issues.

3. I Don't Take Yoga Classes As Much As I Used To
I still haven't figured out why this is. The classes in Austin are great. And I love practicing with other people. I haven't even tried all the teachers I keep hearing about in this town. Yet for weeks now I've had the lineup down of all NYC classes I'm going to hit when I go back this weekend. What's up with that?

4. I Don't Read As Much As I Used To
Two words: subway commute. There were definitely advantages.

5. I Have a Sense of Community Here
This is probably the number one thing I was missing in New York. I had many, many acquaintances and a handful of the best friends I'll ever know. But very few of them really knew each other. It wasn't like 'Sex and the City' where we hung out all the time as a group. No, my inner circle was very fragmented. But it seemed like everyone's was.

It's not like that in Austin. Everywhere I go, I see someone I know, and they are with someone else I already know. And then we all have coffee. Because, somehow, there is time to do that.

Hmm. I had only breakfast tacos vs. bagels and the car thing in mind when I started writing this post. I thought it would be a funny one. Funny-cute, not funny-ha-ha. But now the only thing I'm smiling about is the great fortune I've had in my life.

It's a nice reminder because this has been a tough week. And when you're swimming laps in your own bullshit, there's nothing like a little gratitude to get you back on dry land.