San Marcos, Texas

San Marcos is a mix of things that don’t quite match but somehow belong together. You get stretches of nothing interrupted by color, worn-down buildings holding on beside new ones that already look tired, and storefronts that don’t care if you stop. The river cuts through it all like it’s the only thing that matters, dragging the heat and the slow pace with it. Students drift between semesters while locals hold the place steady, both of them moving through the same streets for different reasons. There’s paint chipping off murals, light bouncing off windshields, and signs that haven’t been updated in years.