1. There will be opportunities for free drinks any given night of the week. Do not take advantage of all of them.

2. There are two seasons: hot, and not-as-hot. There will probably only be three cold days in any given year, but those three days will be deemed “THE BIG CHILL” and covered relentlessly by the media.

3. Check the bus schedule. You won’t understand it. You have to have a PhD to understand that thing. Bike instead.

4. Don’t drink and drive. Not even a little. Cops have plenty of other things to do, but they like the drunks the best.

5. Learn the local ways and the Spanglish pronunciations of the streets. Nothing says ‘tourist’ like asking where man-chack-a is (Man-shack) or how to get to Ceasar. It’s not a salad, it’s a two-named street. Cesar Chavez. Or First Street. But not South First Street–that’s different. And what Guadalupe (don’t you dare pronounce the -eh at the end) turns into as it crosses the lake. Town Lake, not Lady Bird.

6. Austin is dog-friendly. Scoop the poop.

7. You live at 105 degrees in the summer. You might think you’ve adjusted, but then you forget to drink your water and end up in the hospital. DRINK LOTS OF WATER.

8. True: it’s mostly about who you know. In business, relationships, and getting hooked up at bars. You can also make it with a lot of pluck, luck, and networking.

9. Summer sports: pick-up sand volleyball at Zilker and Krieg every weekend morning and most evenings, Pease always on the weekends. Aussie’s (pictured) Volleybar has pickup after leagues are over, at 11pm, but are VERY competitive. Pick-up basketball almost every evening. Ultimate Frisbee on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon … (for the love, see #7)

10. Austin is a lot like Woodstock. Don’t get lost in the freedom!

I should know, since I am a newbie. Top ten things I didn’t get until I moved to Aspen:

1. There are no weekends. Any given night could be a party.

2. There are two offseasons: May and October. At least half of the restaurants and businesses will be closed at least half of the time.

3. Check the bus schedule. Yes, it’s awesome they have public transportation. No, sitting in the bus station for an hour is not fun.

4. Don’t drink and drive. Not even a little. Cops have nothing else to do.

5. Learn the mountains. It’s not enough to know what Ajax, Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass look like. You need to be able to identify them and at least the Bells, Pyramid, Red Mountain, Smuggler, Red Butte, and Sopris.

6. Aspen is very dog-friendly. Apartments for rent are hardly ever dog-friendly.

7. You live at 8,000 feet. You think you’ve adjusted to the altitude. Then you hike at 10,000 feet. You haven’t adjusted. Give yourself time. And hike a lot.

8. True: it’s all about who you know. In business, relationships, and getting hooked up at bars.

9. Summer sports: Wednesdays the good people play sand volleyball at Koch Park, though you can find a game almost any day; the most competitive soccer league is in Snowmass; there’s pickup soccer at the high school Fridays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 10:30am; there’s pickup basketball at Yellow Brick on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the late afternoon.

10. Aspen is a lot like summer camp. Resist the temptation to become a lifer/10-year-ski-bum. Stay focused!