Hi Kenton!
One thing I'm wondering about (and was happy to see) is how you seem to have your (childhood) friends close by, at least on occasion.
I live in Europe and am considering what a move somewhere else in Europe (+/- 1000km) would mean. Seeing much less of my long-time friends, I imagine. But Austin seems much further from the earlier places you've stated you've lived. Did some of your friends just move with you? Are they visiting often?