Flagstaff

After working from "home" for the past couple of weeks I have arrived at my new assignment, 2 new start properties in Flagstaff, AZ! The first few days being here were absolutely crazy- we had to set up 2 offices and a model.

This morning I had a few hours to finally drive around and enjoy Flagstaff and the 70 degree sunny day and have not been to Flagstaff since I was about 7 or 8 after one of my family's houseboat trips on Lake Powell. I did not remember the small-town feel and charm that existed just 2 1/2 hours north of where I have lived for the past 5+ years. The weather this time of year is perfect, the people are friendly and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. It's an entirely different world up here.

After driving around for a while I stumbled upon this farmer's market. They offered everything fresh vegetables, fruits, jams, pies, jerkey and many other items to choose from. I asked one of the vendors how often they have the market and he responded, "Every Sunday until it gets too cold" if you make it up to Flagstaff before it's too cold, I suggest you stop by and enjoy this market.
The downtown area is quaint with a large variety of shops, bars and restaurants. I didn't spend too much time there but it seems like I am going to be for a while so I am sure there will be plently of opportunities for that. The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Snowbowl are also on the list of things to do while i'm in the area, if you have any other ideas be sure to send them my way!

Labor Day 2011

Last weekend I spent Labor Day weekend in San Francisco and I am happy to report it was one of the best weekends I have ever had. From shopping in Union Square, wine tasting in Sonoma, to all of the nightlife, I can't think of anything to make it a more complete vacation. I stayed with one of my best friends from college, Brett, who moved to the city (Nob Hill neighborhood) in July. Everything you would ever want to do in the city is a short (probably uphill) walk or ride on public transit away.  

When in San Francisco it's hard to resist the temptation to shop in Union Square, there are hundreds of shops in a few square blocks and only about a 10 minute walk from Brett's apartment. The week before my trip I kept hearing about a new restaurant opening call The Melt, a fast food restaurant specializing in grilled cheese and soups. It was AMAZING. The sandwhiches were perfect and they had a great selection of soups. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, delicious lunch in the city.

On Sunday, thanks to the Tigner Family, we had to opportunity to go wine tasting at the Kendall Jackson Wine Center. Having never wine tasted before I didn't know what to expect. We had a food and wine pairing set up for us and with the guidance of an awesome server and the chef we learned a lot about the wines we were drinking that day. It's amazing how a bite of food can change the entire taste of the wine. If you ever have a chance to go wine tasting, DO IT!

On Monday I got the chance to meet up with Lauren, a great friend from college who I had not seen in over a year. It was great having lunch and being able to catch up on our lives :)

 Enjoy a few pictures from the trip :)

Not a bad way to wake up.

Silly and Billy take SF

                                              

Caught eating the grapes off the vines

Great night drinking wine and enjoying the fire

That's not even all of it

Awesome group- new and old friends coming together

Jacey helping Uncle Matty pack his suitcase (not from SF but too cute to not add it)

Where Did August Go?

The last sentence of my last post said I was going to try and blog more often... Hasn't happened yet. August is the busiest time of the year for my company- it's called turn. I'll spare you the dirty details.

Over the past month I have helped with leasing, marketing, turn and move ins in Baton Rouge, Tempe and Buffalo. It's been a lot of hard work this month but I was glad to be able to spend a little time in Phoenix and actually eat my meals with friends :) I just got back from Buffalo yesterday and once again, it was a great experience. The weather was perfect, got to see Niagara again, did a little outlet shopping, and ate some great food. In Buffalo I had the opportunity to meet/work with one of the other LS's for the company, Leigh. We had a great time together and I can't wait to work together more in the future. She also has a travel blog so check hers out at http://www.travelbroad.blogspot.com/. She is a lot better at blogging than me so hopefully I pick up a thing or two :) For my next assignment and it looks like I will be spending a some time in Flagstaff this Fall! I am really excited to check out the Grand Canyon (I've only been once when I was about 6 or 7) and maybe even Vegas in October with my old coworkers  for Jenny Z's 21st! Not to mention Snowbowl will be 20 minutes away from the office!

Niagara Falls with Leigh!

So nice to be out of the heat and humidity

This Labor Day weekend I am flying to San Fransisco for a little relaxation, wine tasting and shopping. I will be staying with Brett at his new apartment in Nob Hill and I can't wait for him to show me his new city!  

Can't wait to go wine tasting at Kendall Jackson!

Jace flying to see Bobby!

My parents took Jacey to see Bobby for Family Weekend last weekend. Although I was jealous I could not be there, I am glad they all got to spend time together. Graduation is at the end of September and I am booking my ticket this week!

If anyone has any suggestions for this blog let me know... I'm trying to figure out how to spice things up a little.

Up in the Air

The past month has been absolutely crazy. I started my new job on June 20th and got to spend an entire week training at our corporate office in Austin, TX. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people who I have only had a chance to speak with via email and phone so it was a great opportunity to put faces to their names. The other new LS is Laney and she was so much fun. She is from Georgia and has been with the company for about as long as I have. She taught me all about sweet tea and Nascar. It was sad to say bye to her because as a team we hardly ever get to work together as we are all in separate locations. I spent the majority of my week with the Leasing and Marketing department learning everything I am going to need to know when I am out on the road. My new boss, Meredith, is great! She was so helpful and I can tell I am going to love working for her. Austin is an amazing city, for those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend it. I had enough BBQ and Tex Mex to last me a life time.  I was able to meet up with my good friend Lu who moved to Austin last March to work for Dell and we had a great time catching up and of course, prank calling Brett :)

Laney and I at this great Mexican Restaurant on Lake Travis at sunset

After Austin it was back to Phoenix for the weekend to "pack" and then I was off to Buffalo, NY. I spent the week with another LS named Ryan and he taught me the ins and outs of being at the properties. I learned a lot from him and am thankful to have him as a great resource. Ryan and I had the opportunity to visit Niagara Falls one afternoon and it was an amazing thing to see. We took the Maid of the Mist tour and got drenched by the Falls. Many inside jokes about our hideous ponchos were made and it was great. I posted a few pictures on my Facebook so be sure to check those out!

I actually took this picture with my iPhone

After getting drenched on the Maid of the Mist

After a week in Buffalo it was time to return to Phoenix to actually move out of my apartment. I am going to go ahead and blame my parents for my hoarding but who knew you could accumulate that much stuff over 3 years. It was nice getting rid of my "college stuff" and really made me look forward to my first grown up apartment. Goodwill was probably in love with me over the amount of clothes and useless stuff I donated. Note to all future movers: Never move out on 4th of July weekend. Moving in 112 degree weather is not something anyone should have to experience. I did have the opportunity to hang out with Lexi and Rachel for a little bit before saying goodbye for a couple of months- very sad but we still manage to have a great time together. I claimed a cabinet in their new condo to store my extra suitcase and clothes. I also got to a chance to try Windsor in Central Phoenix over the weekend with Ana. The food was delicious as expected  and it was great catching up with Ana! My (ex) roommate Dan came back to Phoenix over the weekend so we had the chance to visit Chelsea's Kitchen for dinner one last time before he heads off to grad school in August. I think I actually dream about their mac n cheese.

After a busy/hot/great weekend it was time to head to Baton Rouge, LA for my first solo assignment as a Leasing Specialist. I was greeted in Louisiana by a wonderful thunderstorm and horrible humidity.  Besides the great weather they have here, Louisiana is a great state and Baton Rouge is a really cool city so far! The people I have met here are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone is so friendly and very talkative. It makes eating dinner alone every night much better. The property I am at is about 1/2 mile from LSU and it is a beautiful campus. It is a lot of work out here, I am spending a lot of time doing marketing for the property and also working with the staff to make sure everything is perfect. As of now I am scheduled to be here until July 22nd but since I have this weekend off I am flying to Chicago to see my old roommate from freshman and sophomore year, John, as well as some other friends. I am really excited to get to see those guys, it's been a while now!

Great view from Tsunami, a rooftop sushi I ate at in downtown Baton Rouge

Clearly an Arizona boy.. I thought it was going to be Hurricane Katrina Part II (and my sweet rental car)

Today was a great day because we got a letter from my older brother Bobby. For those of you who do not know, Bobby is in Army bootcamp at Fort Benning in Georgia. He is doing great! He said that they did the gas chamber the other day and it was the worst experience of his life. Can't wait for more details on that... He has family weekend at the end of August and graduation on September 30th so I am hoping those are off weekends so I am able to make it! For those of you interested, Fort Benning actually has a Facebook page that they post updates and pictures of boot camp http://www.facebook.com/pages/2-58-Infantry-Battalion-Soldiers-in-Training/160397847305300. I think it's time I learn about some military terminology what all the different numbers mean, I have a feeling I am going to be hearing a lot about it in the coming months.

I know this is a pretty long post, I am going to try and post more often so I am not writing novels and staying up past my bedtime :)

Matt

Pretty accurate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68UJaHvG_c

The Next Chapter

The past 5 years of college have been nothing short of amazing. I have accomplished so much, met so many different people and have had the opportunity to really get to know ME. The friends I have made during my time at ASU will be with me the rest of my life and I could not be more thankful for everything they have taught me. I cannot thank my family enough for their unwavering support, I would not be where I am at without them.

As many of you know I have accepted a job with the company I have worked with for the past 3 years. As of June 20th I will be a Leasing Specialist with American Campus Communities. This job will require me to travel all over the country to our different properties who are struggling with their marketing and leasing. I will be helping streamline leasing processes, training staff and driving new traffic into these properties so that they are successful. One of the major components of this job is travelling, I will be living out of suitcases for the next couple of years and not have an apartment to come home to at the end of the day. I am excited for this new challenge and think that it is a great opportunity at this point in my life.

Because I will be on the road and changing cities so often I wanted everyone to have a way to keep up with where I am at and what I am doing. I am excited to meet new people all over the country, have new adventures and learn as much as possible while growing personally and professionally. I hope you all enjoy this blog as much as I am looking forward to keeping it updated :)