ACL is over and we're sad. Time to just let it out.
It's okay, feel your feelings and let the wave of emotion ride through without any interruptions that keep it lingering. While we wish we could all time our moments of vulnerability to be in the comfort of our homes, life doesn't wait till we're ready to hit us with the sad stick. Thankfully there's plenty of space around Austin to find a good spot to let it all out, and hopefully feel better after wiping the last teardrop away.
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photo credit: Sixth and Guadalupe Facebook
Downtown Construction Sites
Can anyone hear over the roar of the city constantly growing upwards? With our abundance of towers and projects coming online across town, there are ample sites you can camp nearby and wail your heart out and not a soul will hear you. Your ears may ring if you stay too long, but your heart will feel lighter after letting it out. Need to curse for good measure? No one's going to bat an eye at hearing expletives near construction sites so let it fu*king out.
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photo credit: Christine L.
Beached on Town Lake
Head West of MoPac and you'll find uninterrupted overgrowth that casts the perfect cover along the shores of the lake for you to find a spot and let the tears flow. Anyone who comes up you can just splash your face with water and hope they leave you alone if you'd rather not be bothered. Even better with a kayak, as you can just bob and sob in the shade.
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photo credit: Carolyn A.
Mayfield Park
You can be bold and let it out inside the gardens while watching the peacocks, or you can take the trails to find a secluded section of the perverse. The trails are not that long but wind in a way that it can be easy to find a safe space far from everyone else. The best spots are by the shore, or under the natural overhang if you can find it on the East side of the preserve.
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Campus Turtles
Need to let it out, but still live that main character lifestyle? Why not let your tears fall into your reflection as you watch the turtles swim around under the shadow of the UT Tower? Go early or late in the day for seclusion, or let the rush of students passing by help ease the sense of being on your own. Time it right to the end of the semester, and you'll likely have a few students join you.
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photo credit: @atkins1980 Instagram
Southwest Greenway at Mueller
With everyone taking picturesque strolls along Mueller Lake, it can be hard to find the seclusion to really be in your emotions. That's why you should head a little further South to the less central Southwest Greenway. enjoy the serene waters falling from each pond, the art sculptures towering over you, and the general sense of security a good park can provide when your feelings get overwhelming.
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photo credit: Jurrassic Car Wash
Carwashes
Best to choose the ones where no one can see you inside it, but if you prefer more privacy than crying on MoPac or 35, a carwash can wash away your tears. Let the break from driving and life in general (it always seems to cut off cell service when you're inside one) offer you a chance to just be in your feelings. Bonus for accidental aromatherapy when the pastel suds soak your car and waft with that oh-so-specific scent.
Shoutout to Jurrassic Car Wash off South Congress. Let the dinos cheer you up, or help you cry if you think about how they all are extinct.
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photo credit: Stacey T.
Austin-Bergstrom Airport Family Viewing Area
3600 Presidential Blvd
Secluded? Check. Loud noises to drown out your wallowing sorrows? Check. The Family Viewing Area by the airport is a perfect spot for when you need to physically get away from it all, but you're not about to spend your money on a flight when you already are catching these feelings. Let the jet engines roar away your pain and who knows, you might develop a new hobby of planespotting afterward.
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photo credit: Paul Miller on fotospot
North Capital of Texas Highway Scenic Overlook
When the tears start to be too difficult to wipe away as you drive, why not pull over to a good view as you bawl? With a view of the skyline and rolling hills, you can let it all out as you soak it all in. If you need a good sunrise or sunset cry spot, this is hard to beat.
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Texas State Cemetery
Really any cemetery will do, but why not experience a little bit of history to make your emotional breakdown productive? Wander the grounds and find the final resting places of Texan legends as you let the tears roll with ease knowing no ones about to question a crying person in a cemetery. The grounds offer a slice of nature on the east side with a hefty helping of macabre.
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Got a tear-inducing suggestion?
