Anime Convenions, Food Trailers & Recycled Bows

Nothing hugely profound or “aha” moments to report, just some pics of things I’ve been up to.

I enjoy reading blog posts about what people are actually DOING than posts with generic and impersonal content.

I know this will be shocking, but I was also inspired to write this post from a quote I recently read on Paul Isakson’s blog:

“… go out and just be in the world that you’re in. See it. Keep your eyes open and really relate to what you’re seeing. React to what you’re seeing.“

So I went out in the world (of Austin) and came across some neat things.

Here’s a person just walking downtown on a Sunday, dressed up head to toe in an anime costume. I saw a handful of life size anime around this hotel downtown, so my curiosity got the best of me and I called the hotel to see what was going down.

I learned that Austin hosts an annual Anime and Japanese pop-culture convention called Ikkicon & part of the convention is anime roll-playing. Who knew?

Gift wrap has always been a funny concept to me. We essentially are buying something, just so we can throw it out. (Same ideas as plastic bags). I say: if you need to wrap something, why not use resources you already have? Which is why I have begin wrapping gifts with newspaper. BUT, since newspaper isn’t as pretty as gift wrap, I became crafty. Check out the bow I made for this present! (=

I geocached!

AND, last but not least:

There’s a HUGE food trailer scene in Austin. Checked one out a while back on the east side called the Ugly Banjo – had an EXCELLENT grilled cheese sandwich and fried pickles!

The Ugly Banjo is in a little parking lot community of other food trailers. It has a very “Austin” feel:

Anyway…time for a walk. More to come.

Mortified Is BACK!

Mortified is coming to Austin tonight + tomorrow…freaking stoked! I went to see the show back in April and it was hilarious.
So in honor of Mortified, I took a little stroll back in time to 2003…to my Livejournal. (yes, I am a millennial + had a digital journal back in high school). It is pretty amazing to read the things I wrote about…some stuff made me laugh, some things made me shake my head in shame. Most things were just ridiculous.
Anyway, with school starting this week, I have found a few entries of mine about school that made me laugh…read + enjoy. AND, if you enjoyed this…well, then go see Mortified (get tickets here) – it’s happening both tonight + tomorrow at Spider House (right by UT).

At the beginning of my junior  year of high school, I decided to write a thorough evaluation of my classes and teachers:

Other important things I decided to blog about was lunchtime activities:

In high school, office supplies were really important to me, especially jelly-roll pens + mechanical pencils (.05!) and clicky erasers:

Don’t Talk To Strangers

I first heard of Brandon last year, through my good friend, Ashly. Actually, I first heard of Ashly’s “online friend” all the time last year…this online friend being Brandon. After the two set off on their epic roadtripping adventure a few months back, I actually started to talk to Brandon. I guess he’s now my online friend too.

Either way, the world better watch out for these two amazing people…I have no doubt that they will change the world one day. Such amazing thinkers, interesting and interested people, intrigued by people and really just wanting to change the world into a better place…whatever that means.

So speaking of these guys being amazing, Brandon has been pouring himself into his “Don’t Talk To Strangers“project. Even after 1 short year, the results have been incredible. Check out the link in the previous sentence to learn about the project / to be inspired.

He also just put together the following piece. Love it.

Heart in Luckenbach, Texas

A few months ago I was asked “Where did you move to?” (…and yes, the q. did end in a preposition)

My answer: “Oh, I moved  to Texas!”

I was quickly corrected by an Austinite: “No, you didn’t moved to Texas, you moved to Austin!”

“Tomato, Tomawto” was what I thought in reply…and that was basically the end of that.

Fast forward about two months and I find myself in a little placed called Luckenbach, Texas. It was at this point I understood the difference between moving to Texas, and moving to Austin.

I had a great experience in Luckenbach…there is some serious personality to that place. I ended up chatting with one of the guys inside the cowboy hat and cowboy boot shack? …anyway, he has been a Texan since day 1 and had some great stories to share. Had some serious pride to be a Texan, so keeping in mind this project I’m working on…I captured a few stories the guy told me.

Everyone raves about what a great city Austin is and is becoming…and I certainly agree, I love it here. However, all of the great chatter I’ve heard regarding Austin is mainly from 20 somethings like myself who have not been here that long or long enough to know Austin before it began to know. The perspective of this guy…who has known Austin for decades really gave me a few things to think about.

Great experience all in all. I gave a bunch of Heart in Texas stickers to him and his friend at the table…Luckenbach, Texas…wow, what an experience.

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