Hello New Braunfels,
When I started working on this issue, I was stuck at home because of a pandemic. When I finished the magazine, I was stuck at home because the power was out and the roads were frozen.
To put it simply, a lot can change in the span of a month. One minute you think the world is heading in one direction. A few ticks of the clock later and you are wrapped in a blanket waiting for the heater to kick back on.
But sometimes you are measured by your resilience in the face of adversity, and this magazine is a testament to that.
We didn’t allow the unique circumstances to deter us from bringing your attention to the bright and inspiring stories of New Braunfels. There’s too many to share.
In this issue, you will find stories of an organization that helps people in difficult life situations, a new shop that will get New Braunfelsers and others onto two wheels and zipping around Landa Park, and two men who don’t get the recognition they deserve in the New Braunfels music scene.
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As an aside: If you are a longtime reader of New Braunfels Monthly, you might be scratching your head about who is writing this editor’s note.
No, your memory isn’t failing you.
Yes, I was the previous editor of New Braunfels Monthly.
I’m happy to report that I have returned to serve as the New Braunfels Monthly editor. It turns out it’s difficult to get New Braunfels out of your system, and so I had no choice but to end up here again.
I’m a big fan of hiking, and sometimes when I’m on an unfamiliar trail, the path takes me in an unexpected direction. I’ll meander toward the sun while I know my destination is in another direction, but what I’ve learned is to trust that the trail will eventually wind its way back around and bring to where I intend to be. That might not be the way I envisioned my trip, but it can be a necessary step in growth or adjusting for unforeseen obstacles out of my sight.
In the case of hiking, it doesn’t hurt to bring a map, but in life there is no map, just an element of trust that you’ll end up where you need to be.
My previous time in New Braunfels brought me to meet people and enjoy experiences that I won’t soon forget, and I hope serving as this magazine’s editor will once again bring me more of those. And I hope that I will be able to bring to readers the untold stories of this town that need to be shared with its many residents and visitors alike.
There’s no town like New Braunfels, and we need to make sure its history and current story are shared with all who discover it.