Category Archives: Austin

Austin, Kathryn

It’s the little things

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We are about two months into school now, and to say that life has gotten a little crazy would be an understatement! Not only have we completed first round interviews for most companies, but the first round of exams has happened as well. With recruiting dinners two or three nights a week and studying after those, it’s a struggle finding free time! However, I always believe in making time for yourself, so despite everything that has been going on, I have been sure to make time for myself to continue exploring Austin’s treasures.

IMG_3180One beautiful Sunday afternoon, a fellow MPAer and myself indulged in some stand up paddle boarding, or SUP as it’s called here in Austin! We rented from Rowing Dock, which is right on the Colorado River. I highly suggest that you try this at least once, as you not only get to enjoy the beautiful nature views and refreshingly cool river, but you get a great workout as well! It’s also a chance to get away from the stresses of class and interviews and get to know your classmates.

On a Wednesday evening, a group of us went to Pluckers for trivia night. This was a great night to enjoy some great food and company while also stimulating the brain cells! The questions ranged on difficulty and category and it is fun to see what crazy things your friends know. Don’t be surprised when two guys in your group are able to answer every question in the Dragon Ball Z category (don’t worry, that was a special category for the night we were there)! Even though the CPAs (our group name) didn’t win that night or even come close, it was still a great time to let lose with friends!
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Just one more thing to explore! If you have kept up with my blogs (which you should), you know how much I like food and exploring Austin’s different restaurants. Last night I had one of the most amazing burgers I’ve ever had at El Sapo Botanas y Burgers. The atmosphere was great and outdoors, and you will definitely leave super full and satisfied!

All in all, Austin has been amazing in every aspect. Be engaged in your classes, don’t limit yourself when it comes to jobs because the opportunities are truly endless, and don’t forget to take time for yourself to enjoy some trivia or water activities while indulging in some great food!!

 

 

Austin, Shaina

As Always, Hook ‘Em Horns

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utbaylorEven though every student is busy with studying and exams, there is always time for a University of Texas football game. This past weekend’s game against Baylor was a hot and sweaty afternoon gamew, starting at 2:30PM. I began the game celebration by walking down Guadalupe around noon. Like any other UT football game, people filled the streets with burnt orange and white everything, from clothing and accessories to cups and temporary tattoos. People of all ages, from babies to the elderly were ready to show their support for the Longhorns.

Past Guadalupe, I attended a tailgate to get into the spirits of the game. All the fans at the tailgate were not only pumped for the football game, but were also proud to carry the UT name (despite our current football record…). After the lively tailgate, hordes of people made their way to the famous Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. While the game was a bit of a disappointment, one can never not enjoy the tens of thousands of people who continuously show their support. The completely different varieties of people, the study-bugs, athletes, health-nuts, and much more that come together under one roof, to become part of the UT fan base, never ceases to amaze me.

If you did not purchase season tickets or have not been to a game, I highly recommend spending a few extra bucks to be a part of this one of a kind experience. While we do not always win, we can guarantee a great time at the game. Until next time, Hook ‘Em Horns!

Austin, Olivia

It’s All About the People

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It is four weeks into the Fall semester and recruiting is in full swing. Last week, on-campus interviews began along with pre-interview dinners and other networking events. It has been exciting to meet with prospective employers and move forward through the application process. While recruiting, students will often ask employers “Why did you choose Firm X over Firm Y? What makes your firm different?” Especially when it comes to similar companies like the Big 4, students want answers beyond putting on the mythical Hogwarts sorting hat and then figuring out which firm corresponds to which house. I doubt employers would condone this method anyhow. So, one of the tropes we have been hearing to answer that question is that “it’s all about the people.” At first, the advice may sound trivial or even an like an excuse to not answer the “real” question, but in digging deeper, it has immense value and truth. Nearly all of us MPAs are aspiring to start out in demanding positions that elicit long hours in hopes of growing our careers, and we will thus be spending more time with our co-workers than any one else we know! It will make a tremendous difference in our quality of life whether or not we actually like these people. Though we all should think about where we would like to be geographically and what type of work we would like to be doing, we also cannot forget to reach out to the people who will be central to our lives once we finish the MPA program.

With those words of advice, I will leave you with two interesting things I have seen when I have been able to take a break from the school and recruiting bubble:

Lily Allen at Stubb's
Lily Allen at Stubb’s
215 lb "Hogzilla" at a Smoke Out at Banger's
215 lb “Hogzilla” at a Smoke Out at Banger’s
Austin, Kathryn

Do As the Locals Do

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Even though classes are picking up and recruiting is under way, I have still made time to explore some of Austin’s treasures these past few weeks! I won’t bore you with every detail of my life since I’ve moved to Austin, but I will share a few of the highlights! Fortunately for you and your stomachs (not so fortunate for mine), most of the highlights center around Austin’s hot food spots!

The first place I want to touch on is one that a few MPAers and myself visited after our first speaker lyceum class. You may or may not have heard of it. Torchy’s Tacos. This famed Austin original boasts some of the most unique and delicious tacos I have ever experienced. Some of their tacos include the democrat, the republican, trailer park, and a monthly special, which was a chili cheese dog taco when I visited. They also have incredible queso, and that means a lot coming from me because I don’t even like cheese, but I will dab a chip or two into this flavorful goodness.

Another Austin original that I visited with some fellow MPAers, again after a speaker lyceum class (I’m starting to sense a trend here) was Hopdoddy. This place may or may not be my new favorite place in Austin (and quite possibly the world). Hopdoddy isn’t your typical burger bar. With a line usually out the door, you meander through three different sections before finally ordering a mouthwatering burger. Don’t let the line scare you away though! As you wait, truffle fry samples with either queso or their spicy ketchup are brought out to you, and you can make a stop at the bar for a drink or milkshake while in line! I myself had a delicious red velvet milkshake as I waited (and regretted it as I later consumed a huge burger and order of truffle fries)!

blog1Enough with the food, though, before we all burst out the nearest door to get some grub! Let me now sway you with some Austin outdoor and live music fun! A great thing to do on the lake is to rent a kayak or canoe with your friends and see the city from the water! Don’t let three boys get into one canoe, though, because it is sure to tip at some point (with boys being so mature and all) and you will have to perform an intense kayak/canoe rescue mission to tip the canoe over free of water!

 

Alright guys, I’m almost done! Just one final spot! On Wednesday nights, the Spazmatics play at a bar called Cedar Street, and I definitely recommend going! Even though you have to pay cover and everyone else there is a lot older than you, the music is great and the atmosphere lively! [Editor’s Note: Pleasant Storage Room next door has great cuban snacks if you get hungry!]

That’s all for now on becoming a local! Stay tuned for further Austin adventures!

Austin, Brooks, Max, Student Life

Sports versus Food

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Laugh now, but I’m an Atlanta sports fan. As a result, I had to eat my feelings this weekend. Good thing Mom and Dad (and Brother and Sister) were in town!

My wife—Meg—and I don’t like adventuring too much when we’re hosting others and we ended up taking my family to some of our favorite places to eat. In order to truly drown my sorrows in foord, we had one delicious meal for every horrible loss incurred this weekend:

Round 1: UGA versus Torchy’s

I went to The University of Georgia for my undergraduate degree. Like many (about half) of the traditional students, I was not an accounting major and studied marketing during my undergrad. Anyways, I was heartbroken to see the Bulldogs lose in Columbia on Saturday. Only two things kept this loss from ruining my weekend. One, we’re still ranked higher than the Gamecocks (Go Dawgs!), and two, priming the tank with Torchy’s Tacos.

In order to wash away the pain, Meg and I took my family to one of the best taco restaurants in Austin—Torchy’s! Torchy’s boasts a delicious menu of TexMex-style tacos. I remember we got some combination of Democrat (shredded beef), Brushfire (jerk chicken), and Mr. Orange (blackened salmon) tacos. Of course, we had to top it all off with dessert in the form of Lil Nookies (deep friend cookie dough)! Job well done, Torchy’s!

Round 2: Braves versus Rudy’s

The Texas Rangers swept the Braves this weekend. Though I was sad to miss my home team playing just up the road, it doesn’t look like I missed much. As  with the Bulldogs, I had some good food to dampen the pain of our October hopes slipping away. [editor’s note: GO RANGERS!]

Thank you to Rudy’s off of 183 for your mid-sweep boost! I love Rudy’s breakfast tacos. Like usual, we got some combo of bacon, sausage, and potato breakfast tacos. They are delicious to start out with, but add a little heat, and mmm mmm mmm! Unfortunately, I only had room for one taco this time because I knew I needed to leave room for my next big loss.

Round 3: UT versus la Barbecue

UT UCLA vs la Barbecue

What to say?! The Longhorns played much better and with much more heart than last week’s loss to BYU. Unfortunately, games are longer than 57 minutes. The Horns fought the entire game and forced a key turnover with the minutes winding down, but it wasn’t enough to hang on. While the effort and the execution were markedly improved, it still resulted in a credit to the Win-Loss account. Thankfully, I had some serious meat to make it better.

La Barbecue came onto the Austin circuit only a couple of years ago, but it has certainly made a name for itself. La Barbecue comes from the Franklin lineage, which Brooks covered in his BBQ tour last year. I haven’t been to Franklin’s, yet, but supposedly the quality isn’t much different, and the line is substantially shorter.

We got to la Barbecue around noon on a dreary Saturday and waited about one hour to order before we inhaled 3 pounds of brisket and a pound of pork. The food truck/trailer/park is BYOB, which makes the wait fly by, and any time you did spend in line is completely forgotten with the smell and taste of John Lewis’s work. The UT loss stung, especially with the victory in our grasp, but La Barbecue did a lot to make me feel better.

Round 4: Falcons versus Hopdoddy

On Sunday, the Falcons did not Rise Up against Cincinnati. Like UGA’s defeat, the Falcon’s loss was upsetting, particularly coming one game after such great victories. Regardless, we credited the loss column again, and as a result, I turned to the dinner plate.

While it’s no fun to watch your team lose, delicious burgers do make it better. Hopdoddy is a must while you’re in Austin. Their burgers are incredible and the atmosphere is fun. Anything you order will be great; just don’t forget queso and fries!

Honorable Mention: Fantasy versus Pinthouse Pizza

Clearly, I wasn’t perfect this weekend. My starters were about as stout as wet noodles, and my bench, with 4 total suspensions and deactivations, scored almost as many points as them.  Don’t worry, though, I’ll follow it all up with Pinthouse Pizza. It’s a yummy pizza joint with home-brews and a family-style atmosphere. Perfect for washing down a fantasy meltdown!