I tend not to share news until I’m 100% certain about it, and due to one of the DreamHack directors getting severely sick and going to the hospital, I wasn’t 100% sure about going to DreamHack Austin too far ahead of time. I was given my flight information extremely late, my flight was booked incorrectly (I would’ve arrived a day late, but I got that fixed), and I didn’t get hotel information until two days ago. But, we finally managed to get everything sorted out, and I made it to Texas.

I had a morning flight this time, which was nice, because I would be able to make it to my destination before it got dark, and would have a chance to actually look outside a bit and relax before the day was over. As usual, I departed O’Hare International Airport in Chicago with American Airlines.

I was able to claim a window seat for myself again, so I was able to get some photos during the flight. The one above is shortly after take-off, when there were two hours left to go. The one below is when we entered Texas and were getting ready for landing.

After a smooth, uneventful, and relatively short flight (because I’m usually used to flying to California, and this flight was half the duration), I made it to Austin-Bergstrom Airport in Austin, Texas.

The airport was extremely small compared to other airports I’m used to. I’m pretty sure there were no terminals, and only about 30 gates in total. This is a huge difference because I’m used to going in and out of O’Hare, which is large enough to supposedly have an entire zip code to itself. When we landed, the airport was small enough that we were right next to an entirely different airline’s gates – Southwest Airlines.

While I was on the plane, I texted the private driver who would be dispatched to transport me from the airport to the hotel. I let him know that the flight would be landing about half an hour early, and he was welcome to come to get me earlier if his schedule allowed it.

Hilariously, the number I texted apparently wasn’t for the driver, but rather, the company that dispatches the rides. The response I got? “Rest assured, your driver will be on time!”

Once I got to the hotel, I realized that I was extremely early, and was the first one in the Heroes of the Storm division to arrive. Check-out wasn’t done yet, so Twitch hospitality gave me some snacks and drinks while I waited for the hotel staff to get my room cleaned and prepared for me. The estimated wait time was a little under two hours before I would be able to get my room.

But, just like magic, within several minutes, the hotel staff was able get everything ready – I figure they prioritized my room, seeing as I was already there, and I was technically a “big customer” because DreamHack bought my room – so I was able to cut out the waiting time and settle in right away.

We’re in the heart of downtown Austin, so I don’t really have a great view out my window. But, that also means that I conveniently have a grocery store across the street from me, which will be useful to get some relatively cheap food during the time the convention center isn’t open yet and DreamHack doesn’t have free food for me.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is regular travel day for everyone else, and will more-or-less be a relaxation day for me. The convention and the tournaments start on Friday afternoon.