Hiiii!
So, the day before yesterday, I officially finished my last final, meaning I officially ended my first year of college. Even after I'm done, it still feels like I'm on some weird, long summer camp because I haven't gone back to an 8 hour school day (which I never want to go back to). I filled this past school year with a lot of stuff, from getting my own apartment to interning to maintaining what I hope are good grades to sightseeing around ATX!
This photo was taken on the riverside in between South Austin and downtown. This was taken my first week that I was in Austin. The view is amazing, probably one of my favorite parts of Austin. It was so hot outside, I remember constantly having my hair in a ponytail. That's one thing about Austin that surprised me a lot: the changing weather. It can start off nice and cool and get to this humid hellhole by noon. I'm used to Texas weather, so I knew this was going to happen, but when you're commuting to and from places, waiting for that bus to come sucks so much in the disgusting heat.
Things that you should definitely have when walking around Austin:
-A small wallet: as opposed to a huge wallet ESPECIALLY if you're commuting. My first month I was using this huge wallet I got from ASOS as my main card holder. I realized soon after that it was a complete hassle to carry around when I constantly had to open the whole thing to pull out my Metro Card. I now use a much smaller wallet that easily fits my Metro pass, debit card, drivers license, school ID, and keys. Having all those things in one place makes it so much easier to carry and I never get that panicky feeling when I'm searching for my bus pass anymore because it's always right there.
-Sunscreen: This is essential for the hot summer months where the sun's beating down on you and you can basically feel your skin begin to peel.
-Good walking shoes: I don't mean like some Nike running shoes or anything, just a good pair of walking shoes. I wore these black Zara flats for the majority of my first month here, and they became completely rattled by the time fall came around. You don't have to get uber durable shoes or anything, just a good, reliable pair that you can wear with any outfit. I wear some loafers some days and a pair of Keds the next. I also have a pair of cute ASOS rain chelsea boots that help when it gets wet.
-An umbrella or hooded rain jacket: This is really only necessary if you really feel like it might rain. I mean like if there's clouds kind of passing over or you hear even one bit of thunder. When it rains in Austin, it really rains. There's puddles everywhere and the dirt gets even muddier. It also tends to surprise rain a lot, so it might take all day to finally start pouring.
-Cash: This is only really necessary if you're walking around SOCO or Downtown, especially if you want to go clubbing or take a pedi cab or anything. They really only take cash at these places, but on a normal day to day basis you really can get by without having cash on you.
This was at nighttime, during the Blood Moon that happened lasts fall. My boyfriend and I were wandering around Zilker Park to find a good spot to see the Blood Moon. Unfortunately, because it was the week before ACL, the park was closed down. We snuck around a little though and saw some of the stage set ups that night.
EVENT TIPS:
-Plan your route(walking, driving, commuting, etc) ahead of time. This isn't always necessary but whenever there's anything going on (i.e. a marathon, ACL, festivals, SXSW, literally anything) traffic gets super jammed and it's nearly impossible to get anywhere. Trust your google maps, but also trust your instincts. I've found so many shortcuts to places that weren't even on google maps but could have been. Sometimes you know better than Google. Usually no one does, but sometimes you do.
-There's going to be so many hipsters. Or like whatever hipsters even refer to themselves as now. Bearded man bun pastel hair ankle boot wearing #feelthebern tight pants people. After a while of seeing them, seeing even more of them gets a little tiresome. They're always super nice and they mean well, they're just everywhere.
-You can get away with a lot. People in Austin are naturally pretty nice and not as professional as they maybe should be. I know people that snuck into ACL because the security guard didn't care, my boyfriend and I snuck onto the stages a week before and no one noticed, some people I worked with even got into a dinner event for SXSW badge holders only just because they asked. Always ask and maybe sometimes beg. (Don't go too far tho)
This was taken at Graffiti Park at Castle HIll which is on Baylor St. It was honestly a mistake to go at night, especially when taking photos, because you can't actually see all of the graffiti when it's dark. It was still really cool...even the trash cans had graffiti on them.
TAKING PHOTOS IN ATX:
-Daylight is your best friend. This is true with any photos you take, especially if they're taken on your phone. If you're going sightseeing in outdoors Austin and you want to get a photo, try doing it when it's still light out. The weather might suck, but the photo quality is worth the aggravating sunburn and sweat stains you'll inevitably get everywhere.
-Asking people to take your photos: everyone you walk by will be willing to take your photo. And they're usually pretty good at it. The city is clustered with individuals that somehow always have that amazing Instagram photo that looks professionally taken. They'll do you good. (Just make sure not to ask the homeless people that sleep on the sidewalk...they're nice just kind of dirty and they won't stop talking to you afterwards)
-Better places to take pics than the "I love you so much" green wall. (If you're wondering this wall is located on South Congress. You honestly can't miss it, and there is actually always a group of people taking their photo there. Not as many as you'd think though): Graffiti Park, graffiti on The Drag, Lady Bird Lake, McKinney, Auditorium Shores, Uncommon Objects.
This was my and my boyfriend's duo costume for halloween. We were Billy and Mandy from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. We sort of just wandered around The Drag and Downtown from frat houses to a tree house co-op for all the halloween parties. I colored in my boyfriend's white shirt with some washable markers to make that huge stripe...I also diy'd the flower on my dress with paper and the same markers (It came out good enough...)
PARTY ADVICE:
-Go in a group. You'll find better places that way, because you'll all know someone or someone else at a different party.
-Know your limits. Don't go too hard...
-Have cash on you. There isn't always an ATM around and some parties are held at co-ops, where an ATM might be a couple streets away. Keep cash for the parties that charge. I'd say around $20 is playing it safe.
-Kerbey Lane: Everyone that parties goes to Kerbey Lane afterwards. It's like a right of passage. Just know you're going to wait in line for at least a half hour before getting seated. I recommend the Pesto Chicken Panini and the blueberry pancakes. Their root beer is also super good. (Trust me I used to work as a hostess here) Make sure that if you have a large party, that you guys all get there at once or that you'll all be there once they call your table. They can't seat you until you're all there. Don't try to squeeze eight people into a four person booth. It's do-able, trust me, but it's a hazard. There's just not enough space, especially if you guys are all hammered. You'll love your meal a lot more when you have elbow space.
This was at the Blanton Museum of Art. Just a couple tidbits about the Blanton: it's free for non UT students on Thursdays (the usual cost is about $5 for students I believe). If you are a UT student, I think it's entirely free all the other days. They always have really cool art shows going on there. If you check their website, they have their list of exhibitions right on the home page. It's right next to the Bullock history museum, so you can go right after if you're still feeling into the whole exhibition thing.
This was at the Garden Festival at the Zilker Botanical Gardens. (I actually had a whole post dedicated to the festival a couple of months ago!)
There was a lot more stuff that I also did in Austin, like seeing The Hateful Eight in 70mm at the Alamo Drafthouse (if you're planning on going to one of the Alamo's, definitely get the burger...it's sooo good), clubbing on Sixth Street, celebrity sight seeing at SXSW!
I'll update this blog with a couple more posts about my freshman year from my roommate from HELL (seriously so so so bad), some studying tips in school, and hopefully more!
I hope to update soon and I hope these tips helped if you ever decide to come to Austin or even if you're already here!
Have a great beginning to your summer!
xx
Liz
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