Throughout my entire childhood and even to this day Coors field has always been a place I cherish going to every time. Besides the fact that Coors Field hosts my favorite baseball team, the Colorado Rockies, I have a great overall experience every time I have been there. From the smell of hot dogs in the air to the roar of the crowd every time a big play happens, it makes you appreciate the feel that going to baseball game is supposed to have.

One thing that I have always appreciated about Coors Field is their constant ability to be one of the newer MLB stadiums yet still has the nostalgic feel that going to an old ballpark has.

This is my childhood home. I many of my fondest memories from growing up happened in or around this house. I have lived in the same house my entire life. Though it has changed greatly during my tenure there. My home has gotten two additions to it, first when I was four adding two bedrooms and a bathroom, and next when I was eleven that made the kitchen and master bedroom larger. However, the work is never done at the Payne residence as the backyard is currently under construction with no official end date in sight. There is always something going on at home with a family of six and a dog. my house was never all that quiet.

I am really appreciative of where I was able to grow up and the experiences I had in my home. I always enjoy coming back during school breaks. it will always be what I consider to be my home. Directly behind my house is a nature preserve, but I often treated it as my second backyard. I spend much of my time when I was younger playing back there and it was always a favorite of mine and my friends. My home was probably the most influential building of my childhood, and I am appreciative of it.

The Oklahoma Memorial Union (OMU) holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons. The OMU is where I spent the majority of my time when I was a freshman. I also have been working in the OMU since I was a freshman at The Laughing Tomato. I studied, ate, and worked there all the time and still do.

I have made most of my friends within the walls of that building and for that, I will always be grateful. Some of the most amazing people in my life have come from working there. Just this year I have taken some big first steps in there this year. I had my first “big girl” interview in there through career services. This building makes me happy because I have had so many positive experiences there. With working and hanging out there all the time, I feel like I have made the OMU my second home at times. The OMU feels like a place that I can be comfortable and always see a familiar place even when I am away from my family.

This is a picture of my very first job. This was a pharmacy and a tanning salon all in one. There was a door on the inside connecting them.  I began working there in 2014 and worked there until I left for college in 2017. I loved this job so I look back at this building with fond memories because I learned so much here. I learned customer service skills, patience, and the power of a small community.

I loved this job so much because my first boss treated me like an adult rather than a teenager. She gave me a lot of responsibility and trusted me to look after her business after she left for the day. I feel like this job gave me a sense of responsibility and maturity.

There were times where it tested my sanity too. Customers coming into a pharmacy usually do not feel good. Sometimes customers can be impatient and can become upset if there is a delay. So at times, things can become hectic and I had to utilize my coping skills daily. All in all this building helped me develop my professional skills and my maturity.

The Washington National Cathedral is a massive building and is the only Cathedral I have ever entered. The outside is adorned with over 100 Gargoyles, including those with the appearance of a robot and Darth Vader. I was highly impressed by this building and is one of the most memorable ones from my many visits to Washington D.C. just from the outside appearance. Once inside I was even more impressed. The building was built with music in mind, as the acoustics were amazing. That and the stained glass window made for a beautiful effect when the sun shined through. Once I climbed up the spires, I was met by the breathtaking view of the massive D.C. skyline.

For my final post, I will discuss a building which truly consolidates the themes of those I have discussed previously- friendship, memory, planning for the future, and personal growth, all of which are augmented by the architecture and design of this place.

Cuppies and Joe opened in 2008 on 23rd Street in Oklahoma City, predating the area’s development branding as Uptown, despite its character blending perfectly with the businesses that have moved in more recently. Its quaint appellation refers to its eponymous products- cupcakes and coffee. The architecture of Cuppies is remarkable not by virtue of its innovation, its staggering beauty, or its fantastic materials. Rather, as one might notice, the building is essentially a residential house. The interior of the building, while of course containing a counter at which to order and numerous tables and chairs, is ultimately also resemblant of a home in layout. Hardwood floors, walls and doorways, a narrow hallway from the front of the space to the back, an integrated desk and wooden shelves in a secluded area near the front, all issue feelings of domesticity and comfort.

It is this “homey” feeling which, when coupled with my own unique experiences here, earns Cuppies and Joe a place within my series of posts. After my mother decided she and my brother and I should make use of a beautiful spring day to spend some time outside, we opted to try Cuppies. Ever since, it has been a regular hang-out spot for almost everyone with whom I spend any significant amount of time. When my friends return from distant lands (a.k.a. college out-of-state) we always go here at least once. Anyone who is foreign to Oklahoma City and wants to learn of its best features I direct to Cuppies. More than anything, I remember sitting at one of its very vintage wooden tables in the warm incandescent light of the space, at the end of what I might say constitutes the best day of my life so far. We had shown a French foreign exchange student around the city all day, taking him to places like Pops and the Plaza district, and after dinner we decided it was time for dessert. We sat around and watched as Édouard  tried his first ever cupcake, smiling over the salted caramel. And were this place another stark, minimalist, modern chic boutique, as is so common of newer developments, I think the architecture would have been a detriment to the occasion. But in that warm, domestic space, I remember feeling contented with the day I had just spent with my friends. That day is only a memory now, but every time I drive down 23rd I see that little house that serves coffee, and I know that if I ever want the chance to feel a tinge of what I felt that day, all I need to do is stop by for an iced chai.

This is a picture of my childhood home. This building means so much to me in regard to the memories that it holds. I spent the majority of my childhood in this home. I remember moving into this house when I was six years old. My family and I had to spend some time cleaning and fixing up this house to make it our own. This building changed me in the way that my parents taught me a lot of lessons in this house like working hard and listening to others.

When we moved into this house and this neighborhood my brother and I were able to make friends with our neighbors quickly. My house was the house that we usually played at together. My house also had a wooded area next to it so we would often go out there and build forts or climb trees. When we moved in, my parents only had my brother and me. A few years after living there, my parents had my younger sister and my younger brothers. I got to watch my younger siblings grow up there. When I go back and visit it, my family and I reminisce about all of the things my siblings did when they were babies and toddlers.

Growing up my dad has always been a huge poker player and taught me how to play at a young age and I feel in love with the game instantly and when I turned 18 I immediately drove up to Winstar to play poker.  When I walked into the casino I was amazed by the size of the casino and how many slot machines where in the casino.  The casino does a great job of not letting you realize how long you have been in the casino by its lack of windows.  The lack of window and abundance of flashing lights help you stay up and stay in the casino and spend money.  The casino is very well made into a money making machine with plenty of restaurants in the casino you never have to leave to eat.  Winstar does a great job of making sure there is always a place to go spend your money.  Winstar also does a good job with there layout with a variety of different “cities” that you can go to and play different games.  I love going to Winstar because there is so many things to do from blackjack and poker to roulette and craps.  Winstar has always given me mixed emotions based on how much money I leave with that night but is always a fun place to go with friends.

Progressive Field is the home field for the Cleveland Indians, located in downtown Cleveland. I used to live in Cleveland and grew up going to multiple games every year in this stadium. The stadium gives me a feeling of excitement and good memories of watching my favorite team. It is a fairly large and new stadium, being constructed in the late 1990s. It has multiple restaurants and suites built into the interior of the stadium. Behind center field, there is a small lawn that has trees and is where they set off fireworks after big plays or post-game.