Why Austin

I was just visiting a website. It was an assignment for a class — find a big advertising agency, visit their website & write a summary.

Little did I know, the mouse wouldn’t be the only thing to click that night.

GSD&M’s website proudly heralded the greatness of Austin, TX. I hadn’t heard much about Austin at that point. Just another city in TX that enjoyed the sun more often than Urbana, IL. As I read the colorful blurb, I became intrigued. I turned to Google & spent the rest of the night acquiring an addiction for Austin facts.

For the next four years,  I sought out more info about the city in my spare time. I developed quite the crush. When I participated in the Illini Externship, I asked to be placed in Austin but to no avail. I spent the week in St. Louis, but my thoughts still wandered to the Lone Star State.

Many things came & went during my college career. Hairstyles, boyfriends, preferred coffee flavors, but one thing remained unchanged- my curiosity for Austin.

I found a sublease for three months, jammed as many boxes as I could into my little red car and moved 17 hours south. I had never visited, knew no one and didn’t have a job lined up. It felt right though and I didn’t question it. Now, very much on the other side of my move, happily acclimated and well settled, I know it was the best thing I could have possibly done.

Yes, Austin keeps it weird, yes, we have great weather and yes, we have endless entertainment. Of all of these perks, though, the one I value the most is the very asset that helped me get to stay here in the first place- the fabulous people. They’re kind, generous and astonishingly loyal, even to the new girl in town. I am proud to call these Austinites my friends, my neighbors and my coworkers.

Here’s to keeping it weird.

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