I was visually attracted to this colorful and patriotic display of red, white, and blue that ran the entire length of the grandstand. Conveniently, this lone woman perfectly balanced the frame. You don’t often see these kinds of displays nowadays, at least in Central Austin.

I’ve often talked about the contrast between SXSW and Rodeo Austin, and both events happen at the same time every year in March. I mentioned that SXSW is about everything new, and Rodeo Austin is about tradition. But there is more. I can’t imagine, for example, seeing a patriotic display like this at SXSW — it would seem out of place. On the other hand, many trendy themes won’t fit here either. That’s the beauty of covering both events — being open to ideas and people from different backgrounds.

I’m going to make some assumptions but no judgments. I assume that, on average, the politics of the people attending both events are very different. And that’s okay because that’s what makes the world go around. That’s also the beauty of travel: getting to see a variety of cultures. Sometimes, travel can be very close, like driving to the other side of Austin.

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