Lessons Learned: Austin/SXSW edition.

Do I look famous? I wish.

1. It's windy.

(which is probably why my head feels like a storm of fog has moved in...dislike my sinuses)

2. Traffic is always bad.  Which means lots of time for me to play with the settings on my camera while we wait for the transit.

Aperature

Just Cheesin'

Lighting

3. Social media and branding are everything.  The sessions LOVE to talk about this, I will defintiely be getting a twitter after this trip.  Decided it was time to get over myself and start tweetin'.

5.  I will doodle.  No matter how interesting a session is though, I will still doddle throughout the entire session...just like in class.  But at the Trade Show I talked to a guy, who is totally legit since he has his own booth at SXSW, and he made a business out of his doodles.  I feel an end coming to the never ending existential crisis I have been in since I started college! (Oh and my addiction to coffee is still going strong here)

6. Smart phones rule.  Seriously I feel so out of the loop with my little red LG flip phone...everyone here is all about apps, tweetin' and everything internet.

7. Stay Fierce.  It's a long week and you definitely have to be persistent to get into shows you want to see.

 

8. Music is everywhere.  Joey ran into his favorite band The Sounds on the street, and music is literally pouring out of everywhere on 6th street.  It's amazing to just walk the streets and people watch. (More on that later)

 

9. Austin is cute.  Look at this cute little alley way we found.

Later that night I watched the hip hop artist Astronautalis perform at a venue right next to this alley.  He was AMAZING.  Seriously check him out, he's been around for 10 years and definitely knows how to put on a show.  He took six words from the audience (red solo cups, Virginia Wolf, platypus nipples, his grandma Gloria, star wars, florida, and some other ones as well) and came up with a freestyle rap on the spot.  Amazing.  I talked to him after the show and we are looking into booking him for a show at the U of M.  Yeah, that's right, I networked last night. (I'm really bad at walking up to people I don't know and talking to them, at the Trade Show I watched my coworker like a hawk Lee and learned that people like talking, so here I come world!)

10.  I will always love the color of hippie jewelry.  I always have to stop and gawk.

11. I am out of shape.  These bike cab people are buff, I saw one skinny little hipster bike up a huge hill with two people in his cab. I don't think I could have even biked up that hill.

12. I like Austin.  It has been described to me as a "hippie oasis" in the middle of Texas, so I'm not sure I'd ever come back (maybe for SXSW) but I am so thankful for this opportunity.  Thanks work :)

Well I'm off to do some more people watching, session attending, and music listening.  More to come later...especially on that people watching!