Girlfrans

In my previous post I briefly mention some of my close friends I've made over the last year. Oddly enough, the two girls I call my best friends in Austin had never met until last Friday. Amber, Ashlee, and I (along with a bunch of MBA students) went out for a night on the town. It makes me happy that they finally know who the other person is because they both mean so much to me!

Ashlee, Amber, and I downtown.

Amber was my first friend in Austin. She let me live at her house while I searched for a permanent place to live. She invited me on many outings with her so I could meet new people and experience Austin. Not only did she give me a few pieces of furniture when I moved out of her place, she pretty much furnished my entire living room when I got my own apartment in July. I am forever grateful! This summer we went to the Zilker Park Theater production of Footloose. The stage is outdoors and the seats are on the lawn. We brought a blanket and a bottle of wine, and sat back to enjoy the show. This is just one of the many reasons why I love Austin. Here's a photo from that night.

Amber and I at Footloose.

Ashlee is my coworker turned best friend. Ashlee and I began sharing an office last January and started hanging out a lot outside of work in the spring. Since we were together 8 hours almost every single day, we would talk about anything and everything under the sun. I think that is what made us grow close so quickly. Ashlee is what they call a Southern Belle and definitely a true Texan. One thing she got me into over the last six months (besides country music and cowboys) was cheering for all the Texas sports teams. When the Mavs and Rangers were both doing well, we went to different restaurants and watched the games. Here's a photo from one of the Mavs games we watched last June. #gomavs #gorangers were common tweets thanks to this girl! 

Ashlee and I watching the Mavs win (and also finishing an entire large pizza!)

One Year Anniversary

November 5th - the anniversary of living in Austin for one year. What a year it has been! A big part of me feels like I've lived here for years and that living in the Midwest was a decade ago. I have really made a home for myself in Austin and see myself living here for a while.

I've always been a pretty independent person, but moving so far away from home and everything that was familiar to me was challenging in the beginning. When I moved down here, I didn't have a permanent residence, any friends, and had no clue what H.E.B. was. One year later, I live alone (for the very first time), have many amazing friends (some of whom would be in that "best friends" category), and I most definitely know where all the H.E.B.s are located.

Moving to Austin was easily one of the best decisions I've made in my entire life. Through the experiences over the last year, I've only become more independent and gained a better sense of who I am and who I want to become. I can't wait to see what my second year in Austin brings!

One first for me this year was trying oysters while my parents were visiting Austin. I'm not sure I could eat a whole plate full of those slimy suckers, but I enjoyed the few that I had! Here's a few pictures from that momentous occasion.