the adventures of dos tortas

I have been down to my skivvies two other times in order to seek adventure. Yes, I was a baby Torta long before I knew it. Once I moved halfway across the country and another, halfway around the world. In 1974, I arrived in Austin via Southwest Airlines. They had just celebrated their third year in business. The plane left Love Field in Dallas, propellers spinning with a little curtain between the pilots and the rest of us. I carried two suitcases to start my life as a University of Texas student. Three months prior, I had been in school in Central Mexico and was bemoaning the fact that I had to return to NJ. One of my teachers said, I know just the place for you. The University of Texas at Austin. Me – “ok” and that was that. Long before the days of Google, I knew nothing about my chosen destination. A friend back home flashed this weird hand configuration when I told them my plans and exclaimed, hook ’em horns. Me – “ok”.

On the plane, I quizzed my seat mates as to how far it was to the University from the airport. They gave me a look and a ride to the housing office and bid me good luck. I had almost no money and no idea where I was going to sleep. Ah, those were the days. The sweet woman in the housing office found me a couch in a University co-op. I was a couch surfer before the term was coined. Half of the residents came in at 3am and the other half got up at 5am, but the price was right.

August will be 39 years since that adventurous arrival. The time has been peppered with a two-year stint in Japan and vacations to Belize, Mexico, Thailand, Greece and Turkey. Pulling up roots and moving on is long overdue. The closets are empty as is the attic. My final day at work is Wednesday. In another week we should have a departure date.

SW Airlines Entices

Hookem

Tags: Austin, retire mexico, Soon to be expat, Southwest Airlines, TX, University of Texas