How to road trip from Austin Texas to New Mexico and accidentally find yourself with a bunch of people who love waking up at 3am to play with Fire and balloons. AKA Balloon Fiesta

Convince yourself you need a vacation even though you still have a ton of work to do.

Ask your ride or die if they like to drive for long hours and want to get away from the crazies at ACL.

Rent the cheapest rental car you can find.

Scratch your head and ask yourself why is everything booked/expensive as heck across the whole freaking state. But go anyway

Stop in White Sands NM and make sure you get a sled
(if you live in Austin just take mine)

Say hi to all the locals and when they ask you ?Are going to the Balloon Fiesta?? Stay cool and say yes. (Lightbulb, Thats why everything is so booked and so damn expensive)

Head to a little place called El Rey Court in Santa Fe, have breakfast a block a way and dream about the rug you can?t afford that you just walked by.

Take a drive to Ghost Ranch and do the Kitchen Mesa hike. Take good shoes and make sure rain isn?t in the forecast. It will rain on your ass.

Go back to El Ray El Rey Court and make friends with the great folks at the bar.

Wake up early, pray you don?t have a hangover and head into town.

Have a walk dt, freak out at Meow Wolf.

Ten thousand waves Spa brings you back to earth

Head to Albuquerque and lose a little money at Isleta casino (eye roll)

Go to bed early to wake up and party with some Hot air balloon enthusiasts

Find a good stop and let your inner kid freak out

Cassandra and I have been trying to plan a get away for sometime now but kept falling through. We pretended like we didn?t have the time, money or acted like we didn?t deserve the time off. Finally one morning we pulled the trigger and booked things left and right with 100% not knowing the Balloon Fiesta was happening. This trip truly has stood out as one of the best trips I’ve ever taken and with pleasant surprise at the end. Thanks Balloon Fiesta.

Long story short. Go on more adventures.

Austin to White Sands to Santa Fe to Albuquerque to Roswell back to Austin.
Worth it.

P.S. As a Ancient Aliens Lover when you get to Roswell, just keep driving.

BONUS Playlist by Cassandra and I from the trip