There are not many things I claim to have brand loyalty to, but one of them is without a doubt Coca-Cola. My grandmothers on both sides of my family are huge advocates of Coca-Cola, and I can definitely say I bought into the trend. The world of Coca-Cola is one of the coolest places I have been to. From the Coca-Cola Museum to the craziest gift store I have seen, besides Disney world, this place is awesome. Obviously, it helps to be a huge advocate of Coca-Cola to be as amazed as I was by this place.

American Airlines Center is one of the premier arenas in Texas. I have grown up going to a wide variety of events here, from Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars game to music concerts. American Airlines has been a place where I can get away. American Airlines center opened in 2001 and has since been one of the busiest arenas in the world. I can without a doubt say I love this place. I am a huge Dallas Mavericks fan and have no idea how many games I have attended here. This place has always been a huge way for me to get away and enjoy being with others and getting to experience great events.

Liberty hall is a small theatre located in downtown Lawrence, Kansas and it was here that I attended my first concert. The building itself has a video store, a coffee shop, a movie theatre, and a concert hall. I only really got to see the concert hall while I was there, as that’s where the concert was, but being in the building just emanated the feeling that it was historically significant. Despite, the old decor I thought it gave the place a very welcoming environment, and the concert hall was a fun place to jump around during the concert. From the outside, I thought it looked to dainty to hold a concert, but I was proven wrong and had a great time thanks to the design of the concert hall and the acoustics of the place.

The building to which Parish Episcopal belongs has made  a significant impact on my life. I spent 10 years of my life walking into that building almost every single day. From 3^rd -12^th grade students at Parish attend the upper-campus which is located in Farmer’s Branch, TX.

The building was designed by I.M. Pei. He was a modernist architect who also helped to shape the Dallas skyline, he designed Dallas City Hall (1977), One Dallas Center (1979), Energy Plaza (1983), Fountain Place (1986), and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center (1989). This building was designed for Exxon as an office complex. It was occupied by Exxon until Parish purchased the building in 2002. This building has made such a profound impact on my life, positive and negative. I have dreaded walking into the school at 8am and did not want to leave it after I graduated. I can without a doubt say that it has helped to shape who I am today.

               My mother was born and raised in College Station, Texas before moving to Norman, Oklahoma and meeting my father. After college, they moved back to my father’s hometown: the most famous oilfield haven nobody has ever heard of, Elk City, OK. Needless to say, I spent quite a bit of time traveling to and from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, visiting grandparents and cousins. Dallas could have been one of my earliest observances of art through architecture that I can remember. Namely the Chase Tower.

               The Chase Tower is probably the most unique modern pieces of architecture that I have ever encountered in person. I remember sitting in the backseat of my mom’s Lincoln, cruisin’ down I-35, and wondering if one of those old school biplanes could fly sideways through that hole in the middle.

               The Chase Tower was designed by the famous architects Richard Keating in 1987 and stands 55 stories tall. The tower sits center within the nation’s largest self-contained arts district. This building remains one of my all-time favorite pieces of modern architecture.

The Building – Chase Tower (chasetowerdallas.com)

One of my favorite buildings in Norman in the Llyod Noble Center. My dad had season tickets for OU basketball games from 2006-2013 for him, my brother, and I. We would all go to the basketball games together, when my brother and I were younger. There was a span of 3 years straight that we didn’t miss a home game at Lloyd Noble. I have so many good memories of this building. This was the first building that I saw my first sporting event at. I got to watch Blake Griffin play here and now I get to attend the same university as a student. I still get reminded of the memories of watching basketball games with my brother and dad every time I walk in there or drive past it.

As a student now, getting to go to basketball games is a great reminder of the fun memories I had as a kid. The exterior of the building isn’t the most attractive, with a very boring exterior. The inside of the arena was very well designed and is a fun atmosphere and environment for fans and students.

Just a few years ago I had the pleasure of visiting Austin, Texas. While it wasn’t my first time in the city, it was my first time going downtown and experiencing the tall skyscrapers and modern architecture. The most memorable building that caught my attention was the Frost Bank Tower. Although not the tallest building in Austin, it was the most unique. My first impression was that it looks like an owl as well as a building out of Gotham City.

The building was designed by Duda/Paine Architects and stands 33 stories in the air and was built in 2003. The exterior of the building was awe inspiring but simultaneously let off a very ominous tone. If I was an evil mastermind, this is what imagine my lair to look like. However, after entering the main lobby, that feeling immediately disappeared. While it still maintained this regal atmosphere, it gave off a more comfortable feeling by mixing elements of stone, marble, and brown leather. In fact, it somewhat reminded me of the hotel lobby in the movie Home Alone 2.

Overall, I really enjoyed this building. Rarely am I fascinated by modern architecture but this one really stands out and radiates a wide range of emotions.

The buildings in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisianna was also an awesome experience. These are Creole style buildings. There are full-length windows opening up to the balconies, while characteristically lacy ironwork stretches across the upper-story balcony. The design of these two or three-story houses is symmetrical with front entry’s located at their centers. Seeing these in person was another experience that took me back in time to 1800’s. They had a welcoming feeling that made you feel like a right at home like a real Cajun. This was by far my favorite city to visit.

The Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota is another building that I will never forget. The building was built in 1895. The original hotel burned down and was rebuilt on top of another building that had also been destroyed by a fire. Because the new hotel was built on top of another one, you can still see the original windows next to the sidewalk at the base of the building. This hotel is known for being haunted, and in fact, this is where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed. This was also a creepy experience that gave a wild west paranormal sense and being in the century old hotel was another time traveling feel.

Alcatraz is a prison located on an island in the San Francisco Bay. It is basically a giant concrete building with absolutely no color or vibrancy to it at all. It was a creepy and eerie experience to be in an old run-down prison where some of the most notorious criminals, like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, did their time.