A few of the reasons I know Austin is the right place for me

When I moved to Austin, people kept telling me that this city had an energy unlike anywhere else. I nodded politely at the time—how many cities say that about themselves? But after spending 2025 here, I finally get it. This was the year Austin really showed me what it means to live in a place where music, food, sports, and community don’t just happen—they collide in the best possible ways.

I felt it right away in October, when ACL returned to Zilker Park. I’d heard the stories, of course, but nothing prepares you for the real thing: the heat, the crowds, the food trucks, the skyline behind the stages, and a lineup that swung from The Strokes to Sabrina Carpenter to Doja Cat in a single weekend. You can almost feel the ground hum when tens of thousands of people are singing along to Hozier under the trees. And for someone new to the city, it was the first moment I thought, Oh… this is Austin.

But music isn’t the only thing this city gets loud about. In the spring, I wandered into the world of esports for the first time thanks to the BLAST.tv Austin Major. The Moody Center felt like it was vibrating—part sporting event, part rock concert, part… something else I didn’t even have words for. Watching Team Vitality take the championship, with ZywOo earning MVP, felt strangely historic, like Austin was stepping boldly into the global gaming scene.

Sports of the more traditional kind had their own big year, too. Q2 Stadium was buzzing all summer: first with the MLS All-Star Game in July—my first-ever All-Star match—and later with the U.S. Open Cup Final. Even though Nashville edged Austin FC out 2–1, the game was the kind of nail-biter that makes you proud of a team even in defeat. And being in the stands with locals who’ve loved the team from day one made me feel a little less like a newcomer and a little more like I belonged.

Food, though—food may be where Austin converted me fastest. Hot Luck Festival was a revelation. I spent a weekend drifting from live-fire cookouts to street food pop-ups to late-night music sets, all while meeting people who spoke about barbecue with the same passion some folks reserve for poetry. The fact that it all supported the Southern Smoke Foundation made the whole experience feel even richer.

By midsummer, I found myself at the Classic Game Fest, surrounded by retro consoles, arcade cabinets, and a nostalgic energy that didn’t require any Austin tenure to appreciate. And just when I thought I’d experienced the full emotional range of the city, Fantastic Fest hit in September—an entire week of strange, thrilling, and wonderfully weird films at the Alamo Drafthouse. There’s something comforting about being in a crowd of people who love odd movies as much as you do.

Music popped back up in July during Hot Summer Nights, and as someone still figuring out Austin’s local scene, it was the perfect crash course. Eighteen venues, more than 150 artists, and even daytime family-friendly events in Waterloo Park made the city feel like a massive block party I somehow stumbled into.

And then there were the moments that had nothing to do with big-name performers or flashy stages—events like the Austin International Half Marathon, the Juneteenth Parade, and the Texas Book Festival. I didn’t participate in everything, but being in a city where these gatherings matter—where they bring people together—made the year feel fuller. The Austin Powwow in November was especially moving, with its drums, dance, and artistry filling the Travis County Expo Center in a celebration I was grateful to witness.

Of course, 2025 wouldn’t have been complete without the thrill of Formula 1 weekend at COTA. Even if you’re not a motorsports person—and I’m definitely still learning—it’s impossible not to get swept up in the speed, the noise, and the festival atmosphere that takes over the city.

And finally, December arrived with Austin’s signature sparkle: the 60th anniversary of the Trail of Lights. Walking through two million shimmering bulbs with families, couples, kids, and tourists drifting around me, I felt the kind of warmth that has nothing to do with the weather. It was a fitting way to close out a year that sometimes felt like a nonstop celebration.

Looking back, 2025 wasn’t just my first real year in Austin—it was the one that convinced me I made the right move. If there was a theme to the year, it was connection. Every festival, every concert, every parade or race or gathering seemed designed to pull people a little closer together. And for someone new to town, that mattered. Austin didn’t just invite me to watch; it invited me to join in.