I’ve survived SXSW day one, and considering the little planning time I have done thus far, I’d say it’s been pretty sucessful.

The largest takeaway for me so far has been it really is a huge party. We’re not just talking this type of party, but the kind where you can meet really cool people, all day long, with or without a drink in your hand. From new friends in the airport, to the free shuttle, to the taco truck and beyond, everyone is willing to chat and chances are they have something pretty interesting to share.

A few of my favorite tid bits from today:

Gowalla – Gowalla is taking is hometown to heart with a scavenger hunt in Austin. The location based app has reached out to local businesses and given them passport stickers, similar to what you would find in the app, and has handed out paper passports for users to collect place them in. Find 15 before Monday and you’re in to their exclusive party.

Lifekraze – A fun startup based in Chattanooga, TN all about getting groups of people moving and spreading the motivation among friends. I found this really interesting for internal businesses or families looking to create group goals or incentives. Plus they were an entertaining group to hang out with.

Foursquare with Foursquare – Fun = playing real Foursquare with the people who work for Foursquare and then winning a super soft t-shirt for doing so.

Taco trucks – They are everywhere and pretty much all sponsored which equals free food, which we love. Today we stopped by Hashable’s truck and even found some QR code love with our food.

Golden ticket – Stacy is pretty awesome and managed to unlock the Foursquare Golden Ticket Badge. Only 1 of 1,000 to be unlocked this weekend, we can now attend the Big Boi concert Monday night, we’re pretty excited about this one. Oh, and for anyone who might be worried, it starts around 10, so we won’t miss the finale of the Bachelor.