Andrew Murray Dunn

Current location: Jalandhar, India @aandrewdunn

[andrewmurraydunn]

Connecting the Dots

Shortly after graduating in 2012 I submitted a WE Blog post that captured my enthusiasm for pursuing a road less traveled, and encouraged other aspiring entrepreneurs to take advantage of the universe of opportunities available. Two years later, I’m back to share some relevant findings from my entrepreneurial journey around so far:

Small Ties are Extremely Powerful.

I had been learning my tail off at Host Committee in NY when a friend from undergrad asked if I wanted to catch up one afternoon. We had only met towards the very end of senior year, but had a couple of mutual connections and shared a strong interest in entrepreneurship and international affairs. Who would have thought that single conversation over coffee would lead to booking a one-way flight to Amritsar, India?

There I would assist with the development of his startup, VenturePact, take classes and lecture at a local university, and explore the vibrant country. This diversity in experience did wonders to enhance my skill set and global business acumen, not to mention broadening my outlook on the world. All from one coffee meet-up with an old classmate I did not know too well at the time. Sometimes small ties–the people with whom we are only peripherally connected–can offer us the grandest of opportunities.

Your Network Extends Well Beyond the Northeast Corridor.

All grads should have the confidence to be able to go anywhere in the world and secure work. For instance, I don’t personally know anybody in Vietnam but if I were fascinated by opportunities in this roaring emerging market, using Facebook Graph Search to find “People who live in Vietnam” returns over 100 individuals who I have mutual friends with. I can view their alma mater, current employer, and reach out to these local experts with any and all questions.

And that’s exactly what I did on a visit to Singapore­–leveraging everything from the Wharton Alumni Network’s database and regional events to resources like EscapeTheCity.org and CouchSurfing.org. The friends and professional contacts I made in a short span of time led to a dream job with Bima Mobile in Indonesia.

Experience Abroad Will Accelerate Your Career.

It’s not surprising that developing countries are in need of foreign talent to build their economies. This means educated expats can assume senior level roles without as much in-depth experience, which is what happened to me after a couple of months on the ground in Indonesia. I was promoted to General Manager of Cambodia, where I took on responsibilities far beyond what I would be eligible to perform in the US: managing a national product launch, setting up a telesales call center, working with the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It was a challenging yet enriching combination of cultural immersion, intense operations, and purpose-driven work. Furthermore, upon returning stateside I found that prospective employers placed tremendous value on what I had pursued and accomplished overseas.

Long-term Travel Can Be Highly Productive.

What I’m most proud of this past year is following my instinct to combine a passion for travel with experiences that would yield significant professional and personal growth. Call it “power vagabonding.” Understanding other people and cultures, how the world works, and different ways to figure it all out are insights and qualities that I’ve been able to absorb and use to further my career. It’s a win-win-win if you’re up for the challenge. I just can’t wait for what comes next.

The digital age has opened up a world of possibilities for ambitious young adults, dramatically reducing the barriers to finding meaningful work across industries and geographies. In his book Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success Wharton Professor Richard Shell encourages us to take an honest look inside and then answer two questions:

“What, for me, is success? How will I achieve it?”

With your network, resourcefulness and curiosity, it has never been as possible and accepted to take risks and try something different. This is just one way of doing it.

[andrewmurraydunn]

Study Abroad for Young Professionals

I drafted this post in October - only weeks after leaving the US - but never posted it, lingering on the border between trying to inspire others and refraining from informing the world of my personal life. Still pleased with the content but it's funny how much things have changed in just a few months since embarking on my own study abroad for young professionals. Will work on that updated piece soon.

“OMG, life changing!” — the quintessential response to politely asking about a friend’s fall semester in Barcelona/Sydney/London. I was there too and will vouch for those rollercoaster months spent living in a foreign country, chock-full of exciting new experiences, friendships and learnings. No question.

Although at the time I could acknowledge the frivolity of what study abroad essentially meant for the many a college student: an extended vacation, I also tasted the power and potential it offered to those who tend to thrive in environments engineered to allow for such independence and flexibility. Midway through undergrad is by no means a bad time to participate in such a program, as the nearly 300,000 Americans who do so annually would agree, but it’s unlikely the optimal time (not to mention a myriad of other flaws in the system, namely the price tag). If only some form of “studying abroad” were more common a few years post college, following a proper introduction to the professional world along with development of adult values and whatnot. The benefits are bound to be far more meaningful, effective, and prolonged.

Study Abroad for Young Professionals: a productive, flexible sabbatical defined by the pursuit of one’s personal and professional interests and curiosities in a foreign environment. Designed by you, for you, at a fraction of the price of the traditional study abroad experience.

It’s a thing. It’s been done. More people should think about doing it. In the years following graduation, poll your millennial peers and a few too many seem to want out of consulting/startups/finance/corp’s/etc. There’s a desire to try something new, perhaps to change career paths or go back to school, often an urge to do anything different because talent and passion sans fulfillment sucks. So, what would you do if you had fewer constraints and pressures, plus some time completely free to do whatever you wanted to do? Close your eyes and think about it for a moment.

A popular answer is “to see the world,” which unfortunately is seldom interpreted by adults as more than backpacking through exotic developing nations — a “gap year” or extension of traditional college study abroad. Do your family friends and that future recruiter understand that it might mean something more? Immersion in a variety of different cultures, a better understanding of the world, personal discovery and a vastly improved skill-set? I don’t know. But take an ambitious, adventurous young adult and simply remove the boundaries and costs of an accredited campus program from the equation and voilà! Maybe it is an extended vacation, albeit a well-deserved, highly productive and likely life-changing one. And there is nothing wrong and everything right about that.

Why? Geographic arbitrage (because you can). Job opportunities do exist abroad but may involve an arduous search to find the right gig, not to mention a longer-term commitment. Fortunately, most countries make it easy to secure a tourist visa good for a short-term visit. With or without a wifi connection there are infinitely many productive activities to invest or waste your time in:

-Design a semester-long curriculum of online courses from top universities -Get involved with the local tech/outdoors/nonprofit/religious community + other culturally immersive programs -Make a dent in your reading list (fiction and nonfiction). Read the paper and watch the news — there are 200some other countries out there, mostly emerging markets you know little to nothing about. -Learn to code // start a business -Learn a new language -WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) -Write → start a blog, conceive and and market an e-book -Explore your new world — meet a ton of people, backpack to a place you’ve never heard of -Renounce your digital possessions (temporarily) -Volunteer; find local consulting opportunities -Experiment with new diets, fitness regimens, lifestyle choices -Solitude. Sit on the beach or mountain for as long as you want -Anything in the world? -Figure out the next move

Nothing is a waste of time because everything you do is something you personally want to do or try. No noise. Relatively small risks for enormous potential upside. What’s a few weeks out of 52?

In fact, you will be pleasantly shocked by how much more time becomes available when you break free from the daily distractions of social life, errands, dating life, overtime work, schedules in general. Imagine how you might reallocate your brain’s precious bandwidth by day, let alone by night. Instead of losing sleep over the aforementioned timesucks, well, you’ll still lose sleep but over more exciting thoughts, deep reflection and introspection. Of course personal growth is possible in your apartment at home but there’s something about distance that can alter perspectives, priorities.

Financially: the best money you’ll spend in your 20s. If you’ve taken care of your student loans and have a little bit saved away, then all you gotta do is say goodbye to that apartment lease/cable bill/gym membership and realize you can book a round-trip ticket (might I suggest one-way, to keep things open-ended) to almost anywhere on the planet for under $1,000. This will be your largest expense. The dollar remains strong in many parts of the world, rendering your daily costs of living significantly lower. Housing, your biggest potential variable cost, can be largely written off through tried and true Couchsurfing and leveraging your personal network. Think about friends you’ve made over the years and odds are you know or have a friend who knows somebody who has family abroad and would be more than happy to host you for a few days while you get your bearings. As for the rest, you’ll figure it out. There are plenty of ways to make some money on the side too.

Part of the challenge is being resourceful and getting creative when it comes to doing more with less. To be sure, a few thousand dollars doesn’t just magically appear out of thin air, but I believe it is worth saving for. Compare the possibilities outlined above to the $5,000 price tag of taking a single undergraduate summer course at an Ivy League institution.

How? This all sounds wonderful but certainly a tad daunting and nebulous, to just up and leave little direction. Believe me that if you decide today to go for it, you can be touching down within a month.

1. Commit to doing it. Maybe spending time abroad is something you’ve always wanted to do, perhaps you’re approaching the end of your current job are looking for a new opportunity. Whatever the reason, mentally commit to going away for a bit. After talking to friends and family and thinking it over yourself, figure out a rough timeline so you can transition out of your current situation (housing, employment, etc.) and then begin to do it.

2. Spin the globe. Okay you might want to rig the spin a little bit so it lands in an area you have some interest in. Latin America, West Africa, Southern Europe, East Asia.. do some research, talk to people who have been, jot down some pros and cons but don’t stress too much over the where. I’ll let you in on a little secret: once you’re there, nobody is making you stay.. you can go anywhere! On Earth. Anytime! It’s the craziest thing.

3. Logistics. Sort out your Passport/Visa(s) situation, schedule an appt for vaccinations if necessary, find the cheapest flight to your desired destination, borrow a backpack from a friend and pack (lightly). Going away party.

4.Figure it out. This is the theme of study abroad part deux. It won’t always be easy, guaranteed (special type of vacation, remember). You should write about it, often, in a private journal or blog if that’s what you’re into or any other creative medium (heh). The key is flexibility, spontaneity, saying “Yes.” Go in with some goals, a travel wish-list, some idea of positive and productive ways to spend your time. But understand that everything should be subject to change. I can’t tell you what you should do, nobody can. It’s probably better that there are few (if any) programs out there that enable this experiential journey because an integral part of the process is having to figure things out on your own.

Regardless of whether this flexibility was spot-on characteristic of your own college study abroad experience, or if you have yet to leave your own country, understand that spending productive time traveling as a young professional is an option that is there to take advantage of. Could be next month, could be next election cycle. It is important to point out there are a number of reasons not to make a hasty decision to jump:

-Paying off loans should be a priority, though taking a couple of months without pay could very well prove a fruitful long-term investment, especially if you are able to line up a new employment opportunity in advance of your trip.

-Passing through certain countries solo may not be the safest idea, particularly for young women, but the proliferation of social media allows us find roommates and travel buddies with just a few clicks.

-Some multinational companies offer rotational programs in offices overseas. There’s no urgency to derail your career (or any other professional/personal commitment) if you’re content with the status quo, especially if you worked your tail off to get there, but hey — it’s a risk — like anything else, you never know.

Transcending generations is the notion that apparently now is the time to do it, while we’re still young.. well, times that by the fact that the world is more connected than ever and the value of lifelong learning and being able to reinvent yourself cannot be understated, frankly, cannot be fully achieved without an understanding of the dynamics that are at play in modern international society.

It’s easy to forget that we grew up in the 90's — a period of great TV programming but more importantly tectonic shifts in global economic, political and cultural systems that we have yet to fully comprehend. Which makes it surprising that in 2013 the act of leaving your job to “see the world” is still taboo. Mankind is more connected than ever, travel is safer than ever, and there are unlimited resources available to make your experience anything you want it to be. The world was always your oyster, you only just realized the oyster has openings. This idiom still doesn’t make sense. Now’s the time.

Go. Spread the word.

[andrewmurraydunn]

Memory Alley

I'm a nostalgic person. I love to reminisce, catch up, bring memories back to life. If you haven't noticed, most of the ideas I post here are for physical products or services rather than web-based ones, but there's one app idea that I just want to use already! Can't believe I'm about to say it: a social network for memories.

I was the second person in my high school class to make a Facebook account, in September of 2005. Check out my timeline and you'll see a ton of content between then and now. What about before '05? Squat. With the exception of people I did know before 2005, I know next to nothing about the lives of friends I've met in subsequent years. Perhaps this is a good thing, yaknow, especailly considering the recent controversies surrounding Internet privacy. But for the hundreds of millions of users who adore the service precisely because it serves as a respiratory for their online interactions, photos and more? Adults who joined more recently have even larger gaps in their Facebook timelines. Frankly I'm shocked that nobody has figured out how to fill these empty timelines with the valuable content that runs through our minds on a daily basis.

Sights, songs, smells; we are constantly reminded of past and shared experiences. Often times I will jot down a memory in my notes app because if I don't text the relevant friend or family member(s) at that moment, I'll want to bring it up with them later on. Not all memories are positive, or public, but they are critical parts of who we are and in the same way that Facebook is an aggregate representation of our public to semi-public lives, it would be nice to have something more personal, a retroactively written diary of sorts composed of the smaller things and the older things. + the option to share these memories on Facebook and tag the appropriate individuals and time. It would be fun, it would be a more regular nostalgia trip, it would bring us closer to each other and to ourselves. As we grow older, the memories start to fade away..

Bring your memories back to life with an easy way to record, organize, and share the moments you'll want to remember forever.

[andrewmurraydunn]

Auto, Rick & Shaw LLC

Back to sharing ideas.

So auto rickshaws are the deal in India and apparently the whole world is in on the secret except for the US. Or maybe it's the other way around.. these things spew the most smoke and can't be too safe.. Anywho, it's a riot to see one pass you on the street; even more fun to ride. I was struggling to hail one in Delhi when I thought to myself hm, this would definitely make heads turn in a place like NY. I wonder what it would cost to import one and if there are any street legal versions..

Welp, they ain't as cheap as in Thailand, but it could be arranged! You figure between renting it out, giving tours of the city, running a taxi service and selling ad space, it might not take too long to recoup the initial investment. And you could always sell it (or your fleet!), assuming a healthy market for used tuk tuks in the US. You'd need a motorcycle license (cool) to operate one and a NYC Sightseeing Guide license (double cool) to chauffeur European real estate speculators around Northern Brooklyn; small prices to pay.

The real $ and fun is in advertising though. Brands could pay to sponsor an Auto for a day, which means a new paint job and an animated driver hired to give free rides in and around a targeted area in exchange for activations. Innovative offline marketing. Let's say you're trying to get more young professional users for a new health and wellness app -- you could pay for one or more of our vehicles to drive up and down EV/LES picking up and dropping off groups on their way to brunch/bars/home, in exchange for downloading the app, mentioning the brand on social media, or listening to a quick marketing shpiel. Could be useful for startups, venues, events, campaigns -- any consumer-facing organization.

The best part is, you own an auto rick shaw! So when it isn't making $, you're free to ride around the city with your buddies, promote friends' projects gratis, what have you. Who ever said business can't be fun?

[andrewmurraydunn]

Missing this moment every day. Manhattan at sunset after thunderstorm from Williamsburg.

PC: Marion Emmanuelle sans filter

[andrewmurraydunn]

369 days = how long I lasted in New York City. A damn good chapter. Most days counted, but towards the end I could have used more frequent reality checks. Oh the rat race. Feels good to escape the city for a bit. What would you do if you had weeks of free time? Never been so excited to book a flight.. fantasizing about all different routes and deals, on top of, well, how to spend this next chapter with a universe of routes and deals. Trying to figure out a unique way to document it all that somehow fits in with technology fast and renouncing digital possessions.. too bad my handwriting is back to elementary school level. Anybody else looking forward to their 50th birthday?

[andrewmurraydunn]

What do you think is cool? I often forget how big of an influence extreme sports has had on my life to date -- the happier times of my teenage years, development of an independent and risk oriented attitude, spark of my curiosity about creating businesses, bond with my brother and buddies, etc. Finally found my Koreana today on 28th btwn 6/7th.. will never forget how a little extra hospitality to just one customer can lead to years of loyalty and referrals. An advertisement for Jobs on Reddit currently has a 79 comment thread. I actually do not mind Facebook's sponsored posts one bit.. they're usually relevant enough. Kids growing up with tablets and educational games should have little difficulty learning multiple languages, no? One of these days I'm going to change my passwords for the important sites. If I had one wish it would be for everybody I know and love to spend an evening hanging out on the Williamsburg waterfront. Eight million bodies out there and I could have been the only person in the world.

[andrewmurraydunn]

I don't think I've been bored since 2006. Think I'd make a great tour guide one day, actually quite into the idea of running small bike tours on weekends in the fall. Where would I advertise my services? Gotta keep in mind that service does not equal hospitality ;) YouTube "New York City Documentary" --> click the second link --> have a mind-opening 18 hours! Funny how more people than you know write love letters to NY. Btw Theflightdeal.com's content (read: product) beats any online travel startup's tips/photos/etc IMO. Need to go back to San Sebastian soon. Recently discovered that Instagram has completely changed the game for cute bunny videos. Instapaper is the one paid app I can't live without, Maps the native one. Shoulda talked to more parents at bbqs over the years. Motivation really does need to come from within.. I am taking a final stand against coffee. Comic Con is only a couple of months away? I want my time back..

[andrewmurraydunn]

Host with the Most

Originally featured on Host Committee's blog: http://blog.hostcommittee.com/post/57067188984/host-with-the-most-andrew-dunn

Welcome to Host with the Most - our weekly series profiling those whose hosting chops make us swoon. Keep your eyes on this space because we’ll be putting up new interviews each and every Wednesday. Pay attention. We guarantee you’ll learn something before your next event. Which, with all these inspiring tips and tricks, just might have to be sooner than you thought.

Meet one of our favorite hosts (and employees!), Andrew Dunn!

Name: Andrew Murray Dunn

Age: 23

Job title: Operations at Host Committee

College, major? University of Pennsylvania, Operations and Information Management

How many Host Committee events have you hosted? Hosted 5, attended 56.

What was your favorite Host Committee party?

Impossible to choose. I will say that any party at Jimmy at the James Hotel is a night (or day) to remember — always beautiful cocktails, incredible views and great company. The party I helped throw last Thursday was up there too. We packed Darby Downstairs and I swear I must have known half the room.

What is the one signature move your guests can always expect at a party you’re hosting?

That they’ll know and meet a bunch of people. I make an effort to bring different circles into the mix that I think should get to know each other. In my book, a successful night is when I get to hang with close friends and make some new ones too, and I care about sharing that experience with others.

Tell us about the best party you’ve been lucky enough to attend.

Ever?! Another tough one. I’ve been lucky to attend some very memorable shindigs all around the world, but near the very top of the list has to be the first party my friends and I ever threw in the city. Summer after sophomore year of college a few of us convinced a new space in Alphabet City to let us throw a party. We had NO idea what we were doing and I remember questioning if anybody would even show, but it ended up being a madhouse of hundreds of our friends from all areas of our lives. Two of our buddies were DJing, a bunch more were bartending and manning the door, we negotiated $5 Grey Goose and Patron drinks, it was bananas. Standing in the middle of the room watching it all unfold was a pretty awesome feeling.

And the worst?

Probably one we threw later that summer at the diviest of the 3rd Ave bars. I didn’t even want to go, and then it ended up being raided by the NYPD, who ironically were only there to inspect the quality of drinks being served, not to give out citations to the overwhelming majority of the crowd that bolted the instant they saw uniforms.

What is your favorite thing about being a host?

The post-mortems. Hearing the next day that so and so hit it off with this one, that nobody can function at work, or I’m not going to believe the most ridiculous thing that happened. To hear “I had the best time” is really gratifying.

What is your greatest fear when you host an event?

People flaking. It takes a decent amount of work to get people to show up to something, especially in NYC where you have so many obligations and options from working late to deciding to take it easy.

What is your dream party location?

Roof of my place in Williamsburg. Roof of the Met Life building. It’s completely flat and the size of a football field: so imagine the possibilities.

What is the next event you’ll be hosting?

Funn at the Dunns’ in late August — what started as an annual Thanksgiving high school reunion party has turned into a pseudonym for any large affair hosted by my brother, sister, parents, or all of us. There have been many a Funn at the Dunns’. As per usual, the this year’s July 4th party got a little out of hand but just the right amount to greenlight another one later in the summer.

When you have a little too much fun at an event, what are your best tips for surviving the next day?

Allegra D, bacon egg and cheese, big green smoothie.

What do you do to save a party that just isn’t hopping?

More drinks, preferably of the Campari variety if available.

What are your favorite party scenes from movies?

Austin Powers.

If you could host a party for any person - living or dead - who would it be?

That British guy was who went around the world in 80 days as part of a bet! I imagine he’d be in a pretty celebratory mood, with some crazy tales to share.

[andrewmurraydunn]

E-Cigarettes are the definition of a disruptive innovation, not to mention they appear straight out of the future.. with over 200 brands competing I'll bet great design and marketing will determine the winner(s). Does resistance to using Snapchat officially make me old? Took me seven months to truly appreciate the urban experiment that has become Williamsburg. How can anybody hate on such a colorful, eclectic and ever-changing piece of city? I feel dishonorable for having sold friends on checking out the neighborhood for the then wrong reasons. Whoever was controlling the weather on Saturday got off to a shaky start but sure made up for it at sundown. Close your eyes and clap underwater for a funny pool gag. Mister Sunday is quite simply the best way to spend a Sunday.

[andrewmurraydunn]

Last week I decided to start blogging J Hirschhorn style (you MUST read/subscribe to @MediaReDEF if you want to know media), short bursts of thoughts du jour on life, business and w/e else is relevant. Read a book on the subway for the first time ever today, Danny Meyer's Setting the Table -- intro harks back to youth spent aggressively traveling around France in that romantic post-WWII era, not too long before my 20some y.o. pops was jetsetting around the world on Pan Am's dime. #Envy. Back then it was just rent, utilities and maybe landline.. on top of cable/cell/gym today some friends do Netflix/SpotifyP/CitiBike/Plated/xyz?! Constraints force creativity. Those meal subscription services are pretty cray though, college-me could've really used that training. Just realized how much of a joke spinach pasta is, and how little of a joke Wharton's Transportation concentration was. Did you know New York City has over 500 miles of shoreline? Cannot imagine what the East River will look like a decade from now. Wonder where the next ferry stops will land / lemme get on those dev deals. This will be the 8th year of planning to check out the US Open qualifying rounds, funny it used to be my one dream, now I have a book of em. Thinking about returning the favor and hosting CouchSurfers more often, that's a profile I can see outlasting longer than the others.

[andrewmurraydunn]

Nothing like a good hangover to jumpstart the mind. Flying JetBlue to Ft. Lauderdale, bummed there’s no SkyMall equivalent to browse. Nice to see brands like Terra throwing Instagram contests on their packaging, especially now that I understand the marketing/bizdev logic and operations behind it. Ah Steve Cohen! should write a biography – most interested in what Theta chapter was like in ’76. Flown to Florida over 50x but first time staying in Lauderdale, pretty fun town. Who knew a leadership conference would be the perfect summer getaway? Fraternities are the quintessential large organization, with colonies and chapters similarly to corporations or, bear with me, 17th century imperialist nations – as an advisor I’d like to compare myself to Peter Stuvyesant, recruited to help a NY chapter that needs direction. Not sure this will get my name on a building but you never know. Great to see so many faces at the party the other night, I always say it’s the last one I’ll throw for awhile.. #hostproblems. I miss flexibility, got a busy week ahead. Was going to deactivate Facebook but realized it would cut off my only current means of communication with somebody in particular. Hmm.

[andrewmurraydunn]

Neighborhood Surfing

I really love traveling. Of all the many things I am thankful for, the memories and experiences from traveling to over 30 countries and 35 US states are pretty high on the list. I've often entertained the idea of taking a "gap year" or two to do something abroad - teach, work, volunteer - and I still intend on it. But for now my home is New York. So I just do it on a slightly smaller scale!  Since graduating in May and excluding [one month spent traveling](http://andrewmurraydunn.tumblr.com/post/25226082165/days-2-7-classic-two-car-situations) in the traditional sense of the word, I've had the unique pleasure of living in 5 awesome neighborhoods in 2 great American cities. Back Bay + Allston + Brookline in Boston, NoLita + Hells Kitchen in New York City. I figure if I need to stay put in one city for an extended period of time, why not make a journey out of it? Alright so in reality, I have trouble committing, my bank tank is running rather low, and several longer term rental plans fell through. But I wouldn't have had it any other way. **Nolita** I've previously touched on my [Boston adventures](http://andrewmurraydunn.tumblr.com/post/28556722588/until-next-time-boston) (which seem like years ago) so I'll start off with [Nolita](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolita)). Derived from "NOrth of Little ITAly," Nolita has to be one of the _best_ locations in the entirety of New York City. Surrounded by SoHo, East Village, LES, Little Italy, and under 2 blocks from the B D F M N R and 6 trains, the neighborhood is smack in the center of pretty much everything. Dining was out of this world (and not as expensive as you'd think!). Even after moving I have found myself biking downtown to grab delicious express Spanish food at [Socarrat](http://socarratpaellabar.com/) and the dankest of tacos at [Tacombi](http://www.tacombi.com/) and [La Esquina](http://www.esquinanyc.com/). Favorite cocktail bar [1534](http://jacquesnyc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=7/) was literally down the block, as was the festival of [San Gennaro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_San_Gennaro) in September. Nolita Market on the weekends, Fashion Night Out, Chinatown nearby, delectable brunches, the newly opened [Makerbot Store](http://www.makerbot.com/retail-store/).. there was always cool stuff going on. For a neighborhood that I previously could not even locate on a map, it certainly exceeded my expectations. But my hands down favorite party of living in Nolita was my place. If you can get passed the sixth floor walk up, air mattress and the occasional cockroaches, you had a private rooftop.  That is all. August and September provided the perfect spot to hang at any time of day, before/after work or 4am on weekend nights. With friends from a bunch of different circles moving into the city around the same time, having this private space in a central location made it easy to see the people I wanted to on a fairly regular basis, as in nearly every day. It was far from the nicest rooftop, and did not necessarily feature the prettiest view, but throw a couple of chairs up there and grab some cases from the bodega downstairs and we were happy. I've always valued having a balcony/roof/porch/view, and 280 Mulberry was no exception to the rule. **Hell's Kitchen** But sadly, all good things must come to an end. The opportunity to renew the lease for a year was tempting but far from within budget. I had moved back to Westchester for only 3 days when a buddy from high school found a steal on Craigslist in [Hells Kitchen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell's_Kitchen,_Manhattan). What a different world. Within a week I had gone from a grungy closet in the city's trendiest district to the 30th floor of a luxury highrise on the Hudson. Trading convenience for space, and fun for comfort. Everything seemed to be a tradeoff. The pool / basketball court / gym _in_ the building proved to be wonderful amenities, but the 12-15 minute walk to the nearest subway was a pain, both personally and for anybody who I often hesitated to invite over. Living right on the Hudson provided phenomenal views (of midtown, downtown, the Hudson, and _A SPACESHIP_) and direct access to the bike path, but bars and restaurants were a decent walk away, northeast on 9th ave. All in all, the new space reflected my changing lifestyle. Or perhaps it contributed to it? Things basically calmed down a bit. The first month on the west side coincided with a decrease in going out / being all-over-the-place, and an increase in fitness (gym, biking, basketball), relaxation (movies, cooking), exploration and general focus (careerwise). The living situation was more organized, as my life was more organized as well. Not sure if I can call it maturity, but rather "settling in" to New York. I became content with staying in on the occasional weekend night to relax alone or with a friend or two, psyched about dropping everything for an afternoon to explore new areas of the city. In fact, some of my better memories of this fall include biking adventures all over the 5 boroughs. As 2012 comes to a close, let's just say I have a lot to be thankful for. College ended with a bang of a semester, I started a business form scratch, backpacked through Ecuador and road tripped across America, made some amazing friends while bopping around Boston and NYC trying to figure out what to do next.. it has been a hell of a journey and I'm looking forward to what happens next. **Next stop: Williamsburg, Brooklyn**. I move in on Wednesday :)

[andrewmurraydunn]

It's a Marathon

We did not succeed. At least not yet. it has been nearly one year since I applied and pitched to Penn's [Weiss Tech House Innovation Fund](http://www.tech-house.upenn.edu/) to bring [tik tak tee](www.tiktaktee.com) to life. And we did just that - we built a product and brought it to market. We moved remarkably fast and were on the right path. But the business has not yet succeeded. Endless unforeseen factors we didn't take into account, obstacles no teacher could have prepared us for, and [baggage](http://gsntv.com/shows/baggage/) (best show on TV by the way) that comes with being 22 years old doing this for the first time. It happens, apparently to the majority of bootstrapped startups. But we really thought we could make it happen, and we still do. So it is important to take a close look at what went wrong and what we can do differently in the future. It's a learning experience after all. Let's divide the story into 3 timelines: _The Boom_ (Jan - May), _The Coast_ (June - August), and _The Ugh_ (Sept / Oct); and two categories of reasons: _business_ and _personal_.  **Business** _Product Development_ - Neither of us was or is a skilled carpenter, mechanical engineer, or one with experience in the home goods industry. A challenge we sought to tackle, but one that proved more difficult than we thought. Each iteration of our prototype was stronger and better throughout The Boom, but we constantly struggled to get it exactly right during The Coast. You can imagine the frustration with having to fit more than a dozen components from different suppliers together perfectly, while balancing price and quantity, dealing with sample delays and defects, etc, etc, etc. A growing frustration with the product had a ripple effect that slowed our aggressiveness with biz dev, social media, intern management, and more. _Customer Service_ - We treated our first few buyers with the utmost care, following up to make sure they liked the product and even helping them assemble and play around with it in person. But once we started selling to people outside of network, we became lazier, especially during The Bust. _Assumptions_ - One of the core tenets of [Eric Ries's Lean Startup methodology](http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/) is testing assumptions. We knew the importance of doing so but failed to address them in a systematic manner. We documented and analyzed as much as possible but did not stop to make assessments as often as we should have. The sprint pace we were moving at felt right because we could see the progress right before our eyes, but it chipped away at product-market fit and meant putting in more time and effort that was necessary towards things we were not 100% sure were most effective. **Personal** _Transitions_ - Building and running a business is an incredibly time-intensive endeavor. Whereas during The Boom we had class for at most 20 hours/week, The Bust was triggered by the commencement of our full-time jobs consuming up to 70 hours of our time per week. Sneaking out of the office to call a supplier is simply not appropriate or sustainable. We did not have the bandwidth to grow at the pace we needed to. _Commitment_ - As a result of the transition from college to the working world, our scarce free time in the evenings became a delicate matter. Initially we loved the lifestyle - meeting nearly every night for a few hours and on weekends to crank out frames and continue pushing the business forward. It felt like we were working two jobs, and it felt great. We were rising to the challenge. But it became increasing difficult as we found ourselves beginning to sacrifice important parts of our daily routines, on top of the fact that I had moved into NYC and we once again were separated geographically. Product problems, issues with suppliers and banks, and general frustration turned tik tak tee into more of a chore than a dream. Rather than fighting through the roadblocks, we half-assed decision making, delayed meetings and postponed goals. You can't run grow a successful business on auto-pilot, can't bank on everything going your way when your way condones the bare minimum. We learned this damn well. We caught a glimpse of how much it truly takes to win. Despite our intense passion for the venture, we simply did not have the combination of experience, resources, time and the passion to overcome the inevitable hurdles thrown at us. Not yet. You can't put a price on a learning experience; mistakes we made with everything from negotiating a merchant bank account contract to filing a trademark application by ourselves will never be repeated. Taking time to review our approach and knowing what to avoid in the future will help us perfect our business strategy and affirm our understanding of how to increase the probability of success with the next steps we take towards our goals. We can recover from our mistakes. Our battle scars hurt but they only strengthen our entrepreneurial muscle. So as we near the one year anniversary, what do we have to show for tik tak tee? Having spent fewer than four weeks living in the same town together during that time, we developed and sold a product that now decorates dozens of bedrooms and offices from NY to San Francisco. Pretty cool. Now what? We're excited to regroup and finish what we started. Stay tuned.

[andrewmurraydunn]

You're getting a Wharton degree, now go out there and make that mean something.

_This post was originally featured on the [Wharton Entrepreneurship Blog](http://beacon.wharton.upenn.edu/entrepreneurship/2012/10/youre-getting-a-wharton-degree-now-go-out-there-and-make-that-mean-something/)._ This is the blog post I wish somebody had told me to read exactly one year ago. I hope it resonates with those of you who are a bit confused, frustrated, or stressed while going through the job search process. Perhaps it may even inspire you.  It’s no secret that entrepreneurship is white-hot right now at Wharton. With all the buzz surrounding the likes of Warby Parker, the Lore guys, and the Firefly / Airtime for email teams, Josh Kopelman’s big move to 4040 Locust (fun fact: 4040 was Urban Outfitters’ first location), plus new clubs and competitions and course offerings across Penn, students have noticeably begun to take a strong interest in the startup world. This is the reason many of us applied to Wharton in the first place — to learn how to build a successful business, at the best place in the world to learn about business. Poll the class of 2013 and most would consider themselves “entrepreneurial,” yet they are still churning out cover letters and suiting up to meet with a laundry list of prestigious firms, in higher numbers than ever. There are certainly legitimate reasons to pursue a corporate position right out of college, but the peer pressure to lock down a high power job is discouraging to those who want to pursue an idea or a nontraditional academic/career path. I’d like to add some substance to the oft-repeated claim: There are other opportunities out there that may be better for you. And fortunately, this is especially true if you dream of being an entrepreneur. Perhaps my story will help. I wrote my college admissions essay on entrepreneurship (and extreme sports), but my academic path while at Wharton took nearly 4 years to reflect those career ambitions, while I bounced around from real estate and finance to media and tech. It didn’t happen overnight, but I gradually began immersing myself in the entrepreneurship community at Penn through a combination of classes, clubs, internships, events, reading, and research, having recognized that this was where I felt my skills, personality, and interests were best suited. However, when fall of senior year came around, I found myself applying to many of the same big name companies because I was not sure what other options I had. And then something amazing happened. I was awarded a grant by the Weiss Tech House Innovation Fund to continue the development of one of my original ideas, tik tak tee, and subsequently worked harder my second semester of senior year than in any other semester I can remember. I was learning more and having more fun than I could ever remember. It was far and away the most fulfilling time spent at Penn; meeting with professors and students and professionals from all corners of the school and city, applying my Wharton education in the real world and constantly continuing to learn. Most importantly, it affirmed my passion for entrepreneurship. I had it in me: I had the skills and personality; I had the desire.  tik tak tee featuring Penn gear But then another amazing thing happened. That spring I found out about dozens of job opportunities significantly more attractive than those encountered in the fall. GigaOM University, Airbnb Graduate Programme, Venture Development Analyst at Rocket Internet, CEO Apprentice at Lore, marketing at Hopper, Boston Startup School, Venture for America, internships at Trigger Media venture incubator, and compelling opportunities at too many other startups too name. I can’t fathom the sense of regret I would have felt had I settled for something in the fall that my heart wasn’t into. Understand that you are in an incredibly fortunate position to interview for nearly any job opportunity that you can imagine, or even create your own. If you are not truly happy with that offer you are considering accepting, DON’T! Why on Earth would you settle for anything less than something you are crazy excited about? It just doesn’t add up. The several ventures I have my hands in at the moment may not afford me a jet-setting lifestyle (yet), but they are enhancing my network and skill set every day, while giving me the flexibility to pursue side projects and whatever happens to pique my interest. In short, the ride since graduation has been a blast, and I feel more than great about what I am doing now as well as what the future will hold. The journey has not come without its challenges, efforts, and uncertainty, but that’s a big part of the fun. You are bright, creative, well connected and resourceful 22-year-olds. If you can cover your bases, there is no reason not to take these ‘risks,’ especially if you think you have it in you. You will figure it out. Steve Jobs says it beautifully. I challenge you to take a chance, take off the blinders for a second and look around to see what’s out there. Reach out to a startup founder or an alum working at a company you admire, submit an idea to one of the many entrepreneurship organizations on campus, take a personal tech trek to New York or San Francisco, get coffee with a professor or somebody in class who impressed you. Just do something different, something out of the ordinary. What’s the worst thing that could happen? You’ll find a better opportunity? “Wait two years” to get excited about what you’re doing with your life, or start now. You have a Wharton degree, now go out there and make that mean something.

[andrewmurraydunn]

Trigger Media: A Culture of Relationships

 It has been quite a busy end of the summer for this guy. [Returned home from Boston](http://andrewmurraydunn.tumblr.com/post/28556722588/until-next-time-boston), Funn at the Dunns saw its highest highs and lowest lows, Ilana walked out on Zoey / started freshman year at Syracuse, pops made me sell the baby '95 LS, and Tanay and I sold our first few [tik tak tees](http://www.tiktaktee.com/)! Lots of new beginnings and bittersweet endings. I guess you could say I've eased (I mean, jumped) into the real world as well, finding a dream sublet in NoLita and a dream startup to work for in Chelsea. Things are definitely moving. Let's chat about that startup for a minute. [Host Committee](www.hostcommittee.com) is the second startup founded by [Trigger Media](http://triggermedia.com/about.html), a NYC digital media incubator launched in 2011. At the moment, my general role involves marketing and operations, but extends to everything from analytics to working the actual events. Sister companies [Inside Hook](http://www.insidehook.com/) and Host Committee share an office that is as close as you can get to the perfect working environment: no startup-tacky nerf guns or ping pong tables or kegs, but rather classy handcrafted metal furniture, a kitchen stocked with healthy snacks, and great open work spaces (okay, so we do have a bean bag room and a bar room too, but who doesn't these days?!). The Inside Hook team rings a bell when they hit an important milestone, while Host Committee dims the lights and dances to the Bee Gees (and occasionally Eminem) on top of the tables and under the disco ball. Every Friday we are joined for lunch by one of Trigger's investors or friends whose illustrious career has something to teach each and every one of us. 'Culture' is one of those buzzwords that businesses have been throwing around heavily lately, but I'm writing about it because this is my first work experience in which I can clearly recognize and understand the benefits of promoting a strong company culture as a key ingredient to an organization's success. And it has only been six weeks. We refer to the combined Inside Hook / Host Committee teams as the "Trigger Family," numbering around 25. As proven at our off-site retreat a couple of weeks ago, the word "family" carries a lot of weight; our family is a group of awesome, fun, smart people from all different backgrounds and stages in their lives, that genuinely care about each other's personal well-being and career development. Interestingly enough, many have pursued their own entrepreneurial ambitions at one point or another, from clothing lines to talent agencies to careers as musicians, and also had pre-existing relationships with one or more current employees before coming on board (e.g. classmates at Harvard, coworkers at McKinsey). Everybody is simply a great person to be around, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. Wherever my personal career brings me, I am confident that the relationships, or rather friendships, I have developed since starting here will last. Which is another one of my favorite aspects of the culture at Trigger- the value that is placed on relationships. Not simply from a networking perspective, but in the sense that we take great care in curating and growing relationships with everybody from investors and sponsors to guests at our events and friends stopping by the office. There's a strong belief in always connecting the dots, which I have long subscribed to. The goal of having two companies (and several more coming soon) in one physical space is that we can grow together and constantly learn from each other, leveraging internal and external relationships to propel our ventures to success. On a personal note, at the retreat our CEO posed the question: _when you're old and grey, looking back on your life, what will you be most proud of and what will you be most disappointed about?_ Going around the room, many of the family members touched on relationships with their own families in addition to their career ambitions. As the youngest member of the team, I spoke about how it is confusing to have just graduated from college and be presented with an enormous range of compelling opportunities to pursue. I have big dreams of traveling the world and starting successful businesses, so I will be proud of myself if I have done that and disappointed if I have not, because I genuinely think I have it in me to do em. In a similar vein, one of my flaws is that I am always trying to do many things at once and tend to spread myself thin, so throughout my lifetime I will work on prioritizing what is truly important to me. While the exercise was very on-the-spot, what I said certainly reflects what I often think about. _Update: by the time I finished writing this post, our office had acquired a ping pong table... not complaining!_

[andrewmurraydunn]

Road Trip Days 8 - 16 (The big Leg)

_Apologies for the 2 month delay.. things have been a bit busy! Most of these entries were written during Leg 2, so read em as if it were still late May / early June. Check out some photos [here](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3578747912297.2139017.1381110044&type=3)._  **Leg 1 = complete**. 16 days, 3 rented vehicles, 2 flights, not as many arguments as you’d think, and countless stories. We’re still going strong. I’ve been writing brief notes in my phone daily in an attempt to recap the whole trip for friends and family who might be interested, and for my future self who will be envious. So here it goes: my memory’s best and most neutral (what I’d write to my grandmother is slightly different from what I’d tell my fraternity brothers) account of the post-grad road trip to date. Special thanks to mom and dad for allowing this to happen! **Day 8** . Silicon Valley . RV life . Big Sur I'll start off by saying how delightful it was to see a stunning sunset nearly every singly day we were on the west coast. Not sure if we got lucky with the weather or if that's something unique to the area, but I like it :) None of us could muster up the energy to wake up at 7am to catch a tour of Facebook’s headquarters with John Allen Thomas, which in retrospect was not cool. But a few of us were still eager to check out the Silicon Valley region, and it worked out that a few had to go in a similar direction to return an SUV and pick up THE RV. Bloom and I scooped up delectable grilled cheeses from Ferry Terminal and hopped on Cal Train to Palo Alto. We met up with my buddy Alexey who showed us around his neck of the startup world, classic apartment-office and coffee shop included. Explored Stanford's campus for a bit, took in views of the Valley from Hoover Tower. It's funny- for years I've looked up to Silicon Valley as this magical place, and it definitely is, but aesthetically it's really just suburbs with some office buildings here and there. Nevertheless, I could feel the energy. But more importantly, on the 8th day we found ourselves in possession of a 28ft El Monte RV. It had a kitchen, bathroom, shower, and technically slept 6 (a full bed in the rear, two seating ares in the kitchen area converted into twin beds, and space for two in a loft-type space above the driver/passenger seats), though we packed 8 in on a couple of occasions. She had her challenges but she always came through for the boys. It was a living room on wheels.. a living room that is not legally allowed to park most places within a city. I was eager to check out Half Moon Bay (site of the famous wave, Mavericks) on the drive south but we were in a bit of a time crunch if we wanted to make it to the RV campgrounds in San Simeon. We drove along the coast through Santa Cruz and Monterey, stopping on the side of Highway 1 to catch an unreal sunset from on top of the RV. As the moon and the stars rose, we realized how difficult it was to drive this thing at night, especially through Big Sur on one of the more treacherous roads in the country, so we decided to find the first campground we saw. Unfortunately they were all either booked or reserved so we followed a tip to take a mountain road a few miles up and claim a patch of roadside. Not sure if any of us had seen so many stars in our lives. Pretty special night. That's why we got the RV. **Day 9** . Hearst Castle . Santa Barbara Woke up 1,000+ ft up in Big Sur. Took the extra-treacherous drive down back to highway 1 and hit the road to Santa Barbara by way of Hearst Castle, stopping at a few vista points along the way while raving about how great of a call renting an RV was after all (there had been a big debate prior to the trip). It took some effort for Bennett to convince us to do the $25 tour of William Randolf Hearst’s “hideaway” but it was well worth it. The property is truly an architectural masterpiece perched on top of a million dollar view. Inspired by his travels throughout Spain and Italy, the Casa Grande and grounds incorporate renaissance architecture and actual fireplaces, statues, and artwork from centuries ago. But what makes the castle extra special is the company that visited in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Hearst frequently entertained not only Hollywood stars like Charlie Chaplin and Hugh Grant but also professional athletes, presidents, authors.. anybody who "he found interesting." Anyway, it was pretty cool to visit what is known as the nicest house in America. Soon after hopping back on the highway we spotted some seals on the beach, then more seals, and then a rest stop dedicated to seal viewing. There were hundreds of females and their young basking in the sun. Throwing sand on each other, sparring, and making funny noises. The other car had spent the night in San Simeon (on the water by Hearst Castle) and did some hiking in the morning. I asked my brother and sister (who had spent a summer at UC Santa Barbara in high school) for recommendations in the area. Ilana was useless, but Bryan recommended a place called Ocean Dunes where you can drive your own car onto miles of sand dunes, or rent one of many of the recreational vehicles. He said “we had the option of the dunes or hearst castle, and at the end of the day, everybody who went to hearst was so pissed and jealous.” So I sent this message to the other car and they decided to check it out. Long story short, they got stuck in the dunes for nearly an hour! One rescue attempt after another failed until they were able to flag down the park ranger. Good story though. Fast forward to Santa Barbara. The biggest issue with the RV so far had been finding a place to park it.. at all times. Obviously we always need to think about where we can keep it overnight (campground, friend’s driveway, ticket-free parking lot), but even during the day there are lots of restrictions on parking RVs around cities and towns. Luckily in SB, we found a friendly Californian RV owner (read: hippie) who helped us secure arguably the best spot in town for free. On the beach, one block from State Street. A bunch of us had friends or family in the area so we broke up into smaller groups for dinner-time and then met up later to hit the bars. I wound up sleeping in the Ford Explorer. Classic road trip night. **Day 10** . LA . La Jolla Woke up in the second row of an SUV on a California beach.. things could have been worse. Drove blurry eyed to Matt’s friend Ben’s apartment where I found wifi for the first time in 10 days!! Facebook never looked so good. Stopped by UCSB for a few minutes and then got on the highway to San Diego (long story, but Phil had a flight out of San Diego the following day, so we decided we would bypass LA and then return after San Diego). Driving through LA was super cool. IT IS ENORMOUS. I have a strange hobby of remembering geography of cities that I visited with my family when I was younger, so it was really exciting to pass through all different neighborhoods. Newport and Laguna Beach were especially neat to see. Hundreds of big homes on hills with floor to ceiling windows.. I could get used to that. After an unfortunate oil change we arrived in La Jolla, my summer '06 stomping ground. Hiked around the rocks by the cove (one of my favorite places in the world) and grabbed my favorite Tadashi sushi + cold stone dinner. By the time we got to our hotel downtown we were pretty exhausted and called it a night. It had been a looong day. **Day 11** . San Diego . Coronado . Pacific Beach Walked around downtown, through the Gaslamp District and by Petco Park, a street market in Little Italy market, across the harbor to Coronado. Said by to Phil :( and then went back to the beach at Coronado for a bit. Met up with the other guys at Pacific Beach, where I used to surf back in the day. Just relaxed on the beach, bars. Acai. Bloom won the road trip that night. **Day 12** . LA again . Traffic . Weeds I was the first RV member to wake up. Say 8am. Nobody else had opened their eyes by 9:30, so I walked down the street to grab some coffee and one last look at Pacific Beach, and then hopped in the front seat to get on the road. We made pretty good time considering it was a holiday weekend. Very little traffic until we started to get into LA LA. It amazed me that every few miles on I-5, a sign would welcome us to a new town that I had never heard of, population 100,000+. This must have happened half a dozen times before entering Los Angeles County. Anyway, I convinced the crew to follow me to Korean town for lunch. We were able to park the camper in a grocery store lot after promising to make some purchases (how could I complain about the opportunity to buy dried seaweed strips and Korean starbursts?). Yelp directed us to a popular and delicious all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ joint. While the Ford Explorer chose to spend the afternoon at the Dodgers game, we decided to head to the Santa Monica – Venice area. We succeeded in making it over there, and we certainly saw the area, but 2 hours of searching for parking were not fruitful. Realizing that not only were we spotless for the day but also for the night, we desperately searched for RV parks in the city and found a vacancy a few miles south in Playa Del Rey: a trailer park on the beach, right next to LAX and a chemical refinery! But emphasis on the beach. None of us wanted to spend a minute there so we made some calls and found ways to get friends to pick us up. My buddy from high school, Matt Gaw, had recently moved out to LA, so we had made plans to hang out. Got a nice tour of Beverly hills and then drove north pasted the valley to his new place (where Showtime's Weeds is filmed and loosely based on!). Went out to din with his family and had a relaxing evening catching up by the fire pit. **Day 13** . UCLA . Santa Monica . Trailer Park Gaw and I started the day early with plans to check out the Getty Center. Less for its exhibits, more for its sweeping views of the city. Unfortunately it was closed, so we hit up Urth Café (of Entourage fame) for some coffee before heading to nearby Griffith observatory which would fortunately offer a rival vista. From the top we could easily see downtown LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the Hollywood sign, Westwood, and all the way to the Pacific Ocean. I was finally starting to feel like I was getting a solid grasp on the geography of the city. Gaw then dropped me off at my UCLA friend Jillian’s apt in Westwood. Great tour of campus and Westwood! We met up with her friend Sara in Santa Monica for happy hour, walking along the promenade (outdoor mall), watching the Celtics-Heat game (we watched a lotttt of playoff basketball throughout the trip), and taking in the sunset on the beach. Our 13th straight beautiful day was capped off back at the trailer park for an evening that can only be described as “the most chill.” Joined by my UCLA friends, two ZBT alums (David Bernstein and Erich Sorger), our Penn friend Becca Rosen, and some very friendly RV neighbors, we roasted marshmellows under the stars on the beach, just enjoying the situation. **Day 14** . Grand Canyon 6 brave soles woke up early for the 9 hour drive, while the other members opted to head to Vegas for an extra day (the GC crew would have 2 nights in Vegas aftertwards). The RV BURNED through its ~40 gallon take every few hours (I think we once had a $208 receipt) through the Mojave desert. We made it with a couple of hours to spare. Walked around various lookout points along the south rim. There aren’t too many words that can describe the Grand Canyon.. it’s just breathtaking and difficult to fathom the natural forces that took millions of years to carve it out. Bloom spent most of the time Instagramming, but I can’t say he had the wrong idea. Every shot was jaw-dropping. We staked out a somewhat unsafe ledge to catch the sunset and then had pretty shitty “authentic” Mexican food (despite the highest Yelp rating in the area) near the campsite. Woke up to some big mooses poking around neighboring RVs! **Day 15-16** . Vegas . Pools . Hangover Early wake up to book it back to Vegas to return RV and car. But first had to empty the septic tank! Great times. Like many other items throughout the trip, we had procrastinated on booking Vegas hotels because everybody had heard of friends staying here or there and this and that and nobody took any initiative. Luckily, Scott found a deal at Harrah’s that in the end ran me $24 for 2 nights. Not the grandest of hotels, but very centrally located and seldom did we spend much time there except to sleep. Vegas was obviously ridiculous place.. the stereotype “Disneyland for adults” certainly fits. Everything is fake. Having explored the city during my UCSD summer from a comparativel innocent perspective, I was ready to take on Vegas nightlife (and daylife) how it was meant to. Between pool-hopping, Jess’s dinner at a fun Italian BYO with the Arielles, some casino action, wandering the streets in the early hours of the morning, daytime pool parties, and hitting some of the big name clubs, I’d say I got my fix, a tad bit reminiscent of The Hangover. Definitely some memorable nights. Oh yeah, and we unexpectedly ran into our main man Jeff Kiske at Caesar’s!