101 Great Things To Do in Austin

One complaint that I tend to have about myself (Alissa) is that I don't take advantage of all that my remarkable city has to offer. I have lived in Austin, Texas since June of 2007 and since I have been here, I have seen and done many things, but I tend to have fallen into a routine, only frequenting the same eateries, bars, nightclubs, theaters, etc. I moved to Austin so that I would never be bored, never be without new things to see and experience, but yet I feel compelled to stick with what is familiar, what is close to me in proximity. I always tend to make excuses as to why I don't attend certain concerts, festivals, museums, restaurants, etc. But as I write this on October 6, 2009, I am at the precipice of a rut. The two big events of the year, the weddings of myself and my sister, are over. My class reunion has passed by, and (as far as I know) my husband and I are not expecting a child anytime soon. My work and choral responsibilities are in such a nice routine that they require minimal extra work. This is the opportune time to get to know this city that I love so much.

The project: Experience 101 Great Things to Do in Austin in one year's time. I came upon a list (author unknown) listing many different activities, events, shows, restaurants, museums, etc. to do in Austin, and I am going to do and attend everything on this list by October 6, 2010. (When I came up with this idea, I was not even thinking of the correlation to the Julie/Julia Project until my friend Jamie pointed it out. So be it; I'm not looking for movie deals here, just a place to share my journey--although if a certain brother-in-law/producer was at all interested in the story, I'm available. Megan Fox can play me.)

A disclaimer: I realized today, as I was researching dates of the events, that several of them don't exist anymore. In that event, I will simply substitute an event of my choosing, most likely one that I haven't done before, so that by the end of the year's time, I will have done 101 Great Things.

I would love to encourage you, reader, to participate in my journey! If you live in Austin, come join me! I'll post my upcoming trips on Facebook, and if you'd like to come along, just let me know. Also, I know some of you have an "in" with certain Austin bigwigs--if you find out any ways I can defer the cost of any of this stuff, I'll be glad to take it! Most importantly, just read, comment, and encourage. Procrastination tends to be my middle name, but with your encouragement and support, I can do this!

My first excursion is on Thursday: Jamie and I are going on a self-guided walking tour of Downtown Austin. Look for the recap with pictures soon!

Thanks for reading my opening ramble. I'm off!