Austin Enchanted Forest

Austin revived us more than we could have imagined-we rode into the city still burdened by the gravity of New Orleans. It’s a harsh town, a microcosm of grief and tragedy that radiates the most stunning bursts of light you’re likely to see anywhere. Outsiders can only awkwardly angle for a glimpse of a culture that will never belong to us, admiring from afar while New Orleanians project tortured and beautiful souls onto the city’s facade.

But rolling into Austin, our load lightened before we even unpacked. Throughout the trip, we’ve heard about The Enchanted Forest, a community here that recently shut its doors to the public following attacks from the city. People said we would fit right in, and we rode toward it in hopes of an invitation to set up camp.

Hills tossing us through the city, a car stopped in the median and a glowing face poked out the window. “Hey bicycle guys! You need any water?”

Her smile projected the levity and innocence that seemed to permeate the whole city as it embraced us. She sent us toward her friends at The Forest and invited us into her own world as well, taking us out night after night to the steady buzz of Austin’s live music.

The folks at The Enchanted Forest welcomed us warmly, offering a tranquil haven away from the city’s bustling concrete. Over the next month, our wounds healed and our spirits lightened as our new friends shared their lives, inspiring us with the conflicted past and confused future of their home. A newly welded BBQ bicycle box and care package in tow, we finally left after family photos and hugs, heading west toward the blank desert canvas where we would slowly paint our next story.

The voice of The Enchanted Forest is long, loud, and nuanced, one that we can’t do justice to in a blog post. We’ve begun documenting it, and this short edit will have to do while the rest stays neatly stored on hard drives, waiting for the time when we can give it the attention it deserves.