Like a punch in the face the humid heat of Austin, TX hit me from the moment I landed at the airport on Monday night.
It was my third time to the city and I’ll easily categorize ATX into my top five American cities. The perfect mix of great food, culture (the live music capital of the world), bars, scenery, friendly people, and outdoor/healthy activities.
The food in Austin might surprise you. Yes there is incredible Texas BBQ (think brisket, ribs, Mac and cheese, corn on the cob and coleslaw) but more importantly they have an abundance of healthy and plant-based options.
Little known fact that Austin is the birthplace of Whole Foods so there are plenty of hipsters, vegans and general healthy eaters ready to take on the fantastic scene in the Lone Star Capital. Everything from food trucks to fancy sit-downs, Austin chefs use plants and creativity like artists.
Had one late night with some team members celebrating a birthday and no better place to do it than Austin. We started on Rainey street in a cocktail bar, then grabbed dinner before heading to the famous Sixth St to play bar games (basketball, cornhole) on the rooftop patio under a cool 95 degree night time temperature.
A short sleep made for a struggle in the office the next day but at least the others were feeling the same. I know it’s no longer cool to be hungover in the office but I’ve learned two things I’m going to focus on in the future:
1) pick your spots. Make sure it’s a worthwhile reason to celebrate and make sure your workload isn’t too crazy the next day. Remember – every email request you receive is worse when you’re tired. When you’re on the road and working with young people there’s opportunities to go out every night which is clearly unsustainable.
2) Do it before a Fly Day. Consultants usually leave the office between 2 and 4 on Thursdays to head to the airport which means that extra beer on Wednesday will be slightly easier to deal with than one on Tuesday. Mind-blowing right?
Finally, another useless fact about Austin – it’s the only state capital whose Capitol building is taller than the Capitol in D.C.
The University of Texas is also right in the middle of Austin and I ran around its ridiculous 100,000 person seat stadium. US College sports is something else, especially in Texas!
