A Return To Exile

As the Thanksgiving holiday came to an end, I sadly bade farewell to the week-long vacation enjoyed with family and friends.  Before heading back to Fort Worth, I spent about six hours in Austin.  Once eating lunch and a little bit of shopping were out of the way, I smoked two cigars at Pipe World on Anderson Lane.  Since running out of cigars on Tuesday, the two I smoked were very enjoyable.  In addition, I purchased a new Erik Nording pipe.  The original pipe I purchased about five years ago now has a stress fracture in the bowl.  It's still smokeable, but I've been wanting a new pipe for quite some time.  Eventually, I left Austin at about 3:30 p.m.  Even though I don't care for the present city of my residence, I was comforted by a return to the routine of daily life.  The time away performed wonders for my mental and emotional health.  Too much time had passed since I was last able to get away for a few days.  Now it's back to looking for employment and trying to grind out a life of meaning.  Christmas is only a few weeks away.  Maybe I can escape for a few days or weeks during that time.  Who knows?!  Until then, I must engage life on a daily basis.

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