I was pretty obsessed with tennis for a phase in my mid-teen years. In middle school, I took summer group lessons with an enthusiastic coach and eventually tried out for the high school JV tennis team. I was almost always next-to-last in the team rankings, but that didn’t stop me from loving the sport overall. I continued playing for fun with my friends and family, … Continue reading From My Experience: Tennis Lessons

I’m headed to the Mother Land (Texas) this weekend so I thought I would share some of my favorite Texas tourism stops, including barbecue recommendations. Here are five: 1. “Texas” the musical. It explains a lot about my love of this state and my self-identification as a Texan to know that I was raised crossing the border from New Mexico nearly every summer to attend … Continue reading From My Experience: Texas Tourism and the Best of Barbecue

I’m not sure where my next move will take me yet, whether it’s across town or across the country, but I learned a thing or two last time that I want to remember and pass along to all of you. You will always need more packing tape. I stood in the office supply section of Wal-Mart today and finally landed on the big roll. I … Continue reading From My Experience: Moving Preparation

In continuation with our summer series, here are three more ways to get to know your community. Historical sites – It took two years of living in Birmingham for me to finally visit the Civil Rights Institute and three to visit 16th Street Baptist Church. Once I did, I understood the city on a much deeper level. I had two separate Birminghams in my mind: … Continue reading From My Experience: 3 More Ways to Explore Your City

It’s amazing how the important moments of life can be described in the smallest of sentences. They contain such ordinary decision making that leads to an entirely new trajectory or outlook. I threw away the moving boxes. We bought the bigger bag of dog food. She crossed the state line. He ignored the call. The letter came back undeliverable. They decided on a house with … Continue reading From My Experience: The Power of the Simple Sentence

Hey everyone! Starting a new summer series today called “From My Experience.” Hoping my quick, proven tips can help you! When we were kids, my sister and I had an idea jar for the summer. Every May we filled the container with slips of paper, each one inscribed with inspiration to beat boredom. Whether you’ve recently moved to a new city or just want to … Continue reading From My Experience: 5 Ways to Explore Your New City