How chasing Olivia Dean tickets Sent Us to Austin

A few of weeks ago, I surprised Maria with a weekend getaway to Austin, Texas.

With her new role as a speech-language pathologist in the school district and my work as a pastor, getting away for a weekend isn’t always easy. But now that she has the same holidays as the kids, and with grandparents nearby willing to help, we were finally able to sneak away over Memorial Day weekend.

The funny thing is that Austin wasn’t originally on our travel list.

I was trying to get Olivia Dean tickets for our anniversary in August. Austin is on her tour schedule this summer, and as I was looking at ticket options, I realized neither Maria nor I had ever been there. That put Austin on my radar.

Then, because I’m a bit of a planning nerd, I started looking at maps, bike trails, neighborhoods, and housing data. Austin is frequently cited in housing policy conversations as an example of what happens when a city allows significantly more homes to be built. Since I spend so much time thinking about those issues in Ann Arbor, that just gave me one more reason to be excited about the trip.

We stayed at the Fairmont, and the Fairmont has something called Fairmont Gold. The best way I can describe it is a hotel within a hotel.

It comes with access to a private lounge with what they describe as a continental breakfast, which was anything but continental. It was a full breakfast every morning. Then throughout the day there were snacks and drinks available, followed by canapés and desserts later in the afternoon and evening.

I don’t know why, but there was something delightful about wandering around Austin all day and then returning to the lounge to discover yet another spread of food waiting for us. It felt luxurious without feeling stuffy. We were spoiled by the end of the trip.

We explored Austin mostly by foot and bike. We rode about 20 miles on e-bikes one day and another 10 miles on regular bikes later in the trip. I also managed to crash while avoiding someone who stepped directly into my path. The result was a healthy amount of road rash on my right arm and hand, but no broken bones, so I consider that a win. 🙌🏾

What surprised me most, though, was Austin itself. The city felt so alive and vibrant.

It felt young, energetic, and busy in all the right ways. The trails were full. The parks were full. Restaurants and coffee shops were packed. There were people everywhere. As someone who spends a fair amount of time thinking about cities and neighborhoods, I found myself paying attention to how the place worked and why it felt the way it did.

And honestly, we just felt comfortable there.Now that we are traveling more, and Delta is our primary airline, I decided to picked up the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card. Between the companion certificate, free checked bags, priority boarding, and lounge access, the card has made traveling noticeably easier.

One thing I didn’t expect to appreciate quite so much was lounge access through the card. Good food is nice. Comfortable seating is nice. But there is something deeply humanizing about having access to a clean, quiet bathroom when you’re traveling. If you’ve spent enough time in airports, you know exactly what I mean. Am I right?

For our family of five, the checked bag savings alone will probably pay for the annual fee. Everything else feels like a bonus.More than anything, though, this trip reminded me how important it is to intentionally spend time with the person you love. The work will still be there. The emails will still be there. The laundry will still be there.

But a weekend away together? I highly recommend it.