Austin recap. In short, vacations are never long enough.

Some time has passed. Not a significant amount of time, but enough to drive over a thousand miles to find myself back home again.

This trip was such a blur. And I really tried to make it a point to experience every minute.

Minutes went too fast. I think Logan feels the same way.

When last I updated, it was about to be Friday.

Friday was great. Erin and I hit South Congress - this totally cool area in Austin I'd want to inhabit with regularity if I lived in Austin.

Erin and I agreed; Austin is a very cool city. I could totally live in Austin.

Especially SoCo.

Who doesn't like to be welcomed with a big i love you so much tag? Such is SoCo. South Congress is filled to bursting with misty cafes, live music and wonderful diversity. Not unlike Portland, Austin's discovered the food truck, and a block of Austin is dedicated to all things foodie.

We did a before-and-after SoCo thing on our last full day in Austin. In between, we went to Logan's performances at 2:30 and 4:30 pm at Ballet Austin.

Here's just a sample. This is just a taste of the wonderful performance the kids put together in three weeks. This is a segment of Logan's level. It was a great show, and I think I understand, in perhaps a small way, what it must be like to feel a part of something so grand.

After we dropped the kids off for their last night of ballet dancer cameraderie, during which they vowed to us they didn't intend in the least to have an "alcohol party" or smoke any "marijuana cigarettes", Erin and I went back to South Congress.

We hit The Continental. It's the best deal on the block. We heard great blues, we each had a cheap beer, and there's no better atmosphere than what we found. I'd have loved to have stayed later, but we had ground to cover in the morning, so we were gone before it cost us anything. After 9 pm, there's a cover. But there's a lot to hear before 9 pm on a Friday night.

We had the best veggie burgers for dinner at the Snack Bar. Then it was time to head to bed. Because we are old, and we had hundreds of miles to cover in the morning.

We found our way to Logan somewhere around 10 am on Saturday. We did our best to pack the car, which wasn't pretty - and then we hit the road.

Hundreds of miles later, we found ourselves in Amarillo. What a fucking long day. There's no other way to put it.

After a night at the Days Inn in Amarillo (not as nice as the Ramada Inn in Austin, and it was more expensive - make note) this morning, we headed home. There's something about having been somewhere before that makes the journey shorter, and the way home seemed to glide by.

I had a hankering for a donut along the way, and we had what is perhaps the most unintentionally humorous moment of the trip at that particular donut place. I think only Erin, Logan and I would appreciate the retelling, so I'll spare you.

And now we're home. I'm glad beyond measure that Logan had a good time and learned a whole lot of stuff at Ballet Austin. I certainly enjoyed my time while he was gone. We both needed the time away.

And now we both have new realities to face.

Freedom has a very curious cost.