As promised, here are the top 10 things I am going to miss about Texas:
1. The people. Texas, for those of you who don't know, is the single most welcoming place I have ever lived. People are warm and genuine and sincere. They accept people as they are and have the biggest hearts of any place I've ever been. It breaks my heart to think of the incredible people I've come to know and love and will have to leave behind.
2. The weather. I know, I complained about it in my last post, but just as mercurial as my attitude is, the weather in Texas is just as changeable. And it's lovely. Just this morning my drive in to work was graced by misty fog banks with beautiful early morning sunrays bursting from behind the loblollies. The sky is wide and high, and the low clouds rolling in off the Gulf are just breathtaking.
3. The environment. Yes, there are mosquitoes. But other than that, it's absolutely gorgeous here. The southeast Texas swampy areas are just so incredibly gorgeous. Alligators and white tailed deer and cardinals and snowy egrets... Frogs singing a chorus each night... spanish moss hanging from the branches of the enormous live oaks... I have loved being here, and I will miss it.
4. Football games. I didn't go to a college game while I was here, but my daughter and I have been to a lot of Friday night lights outings, and we even went to a Texans game (thanks, Brett and Marnie!). It's almost a religion here, and it's lovely.
5. Astros. Yeah, they stink - if you want a team that wins, you'll have to look elsewhere. But going to Minute Maid Park and sitting up close or in the nose-bleeds, grabbing a hot dog and a cotton candy, you feel that you're part of America. And Deep in the Heart of Texas during the 7th inning stretch?!? Perfect. Just. Perfect.
6. Galveston. Yeah, the water looks like chocolate milk (and not in a good way), but it's WARM and the breeze is so soft and gentle... Give me my kite and an open stretch of beach and I'm good for the afternoon. Plus, the memory of Elise being chased by a hundred seagulls and grackles is something that will stay with me forever. :D
7. Cultural opportunities. Houston Grand Opera, Ballet, concerts, food (I complained about the southern comfort food before, but Houston has a lot of culinary delights and treasures), museums, NASA... I could go on and on. Houston has a lively cultural diversity, and I like it.
8. Texas pride. When people emerged after Hurricane Ike blew through in 2008, we looked at each other with eyes wide at what had happened to us, and that we'd survived. Two days before, I had friends and neighbors crawling all over my house and walls helping me put up boards on my windows. Having weathered the storm, my dear neighbor told me that I was now "truly a Texan" - baptized by wind and water, as it were. And I felt something inside - a sense of belonging to something greater, something historic and magical and powerful. Something that hearkens back to the defenders of the Alamo, many of whom had been in Texas less time than I had been. And I KNEW in my heart that, if called upon to go to the Alamo of today to defend Texas, I would go - heart and steps light and cheerful. Because that's what Texas is.
9. Cowboy boots and blue jeans and a stetson. Appropriate attire for any occasion.
10. The people. I know, I started with this, but it bears repeating. Before I'd been here, I heard about how awesome it is in Texas. People who had lived here unequivocally and unanimously praised Texas for being the most incredible place on earth. I never believed it - how could any place be so amazing, so wonderful. It just didn't seem possible.
I was wrong. Texas really is that amazing.
It has been really, really good for me to be here. My family has grown, has had experiences and opportunities I'm convinced could not have happened elsewhere. I am grateful for my time here, for the things I've learned, and most especially, for the people I've met who have left indelible impressions on my life. I hope that, in some small way, I've made a positive impact on Texas as well.
1. The people. Texas, for those of you who don't know, is the single most welcoming place I have ever lived. People are warm and genuine and sincere. They accept people as they are and have the biggest hearts of any place I've ever been. It breaks my heart to think of the incredible people I've come to know and love and will have to leave behind.
2. The weather. I know, I complained about it in my last post, but just as mercurial as my attitude is, the weather in Texas is just as changeable. And it's lovely. Just this morning my drive in to work was graced by misty fog banks with beautiful early morning sunrays bursting from behind the loblollies. The sky is wide and high, and the low clouds rolling in off the Gulf are just breathtaking.
3. The environment. Yes, there are mosquitoes. But other than that, it's absolutely gorgeous here. The southeast Texas swampy areas are just so incredibly gorgeous. Alligators and white tailed deer and cardinals and snowy egrets... Frogs singing a chorus each night... spanish moss hanging from the branches of the enormous live oaks... I have loved being here, and I will miss it.
4. Football games. I didn't go to a college game while I was here, but my daughter and I have been to a lot of Friday night lights outings, and we even went to a Texans game (thanks, Brett and Marnie!). It's almost a religion here, and it's lovely.
5. Astros. Yeah, they stink - if you want a team that wins, you'll have to look elsewhere. But going to Minute Maid Park and sitting up close or in the nose-bleeds, grabbing a hot dog and a cotton candy, you feel that you're part of America. And Deep in the Heart of Texas during the 7th inning stretch?!? Perfect. Just. Perfect.
6. Galveston. Yeah, the water looks like chocolate milk (and not in a good way), but it's WARM and the breeze is so soft and gentle... Give me my kite and an open stretch of beach and I'm good for the afternoon. Plus, the memory of Elise being chased by a hundred seagulls and grackles is something that will stay with me forever. :D
7. Cultural opportunities. Houston Grand Opera, Ballet, concerts, food (I complained about the southern comfort food before, but Houston has a lot of culinary delights and treasures), museums, NASA... I could go on and on. Houston has a lively cultural diversity, and I like it.
8. Texas pride. When people emerged after Hurricane Ike blew through in 2008, we looked at each other with eyes wide at what had happened to us, and that we'd survived. Two days before, I had friends and neighbors crawling all over my house and walls helping me put up boards on my windows. Having weathered the storm, my dear neighbor told me that I was now "truly a Texan" - baptized by wind and water, as it were. And I felt something inside - a sense of belonging to something greater, something historic and magical and powerful. Something that hearkens back to the defenders of the Alamo, many of whom had been in Texas less time than I had been. And I KNEW in my heart that, if called upon to go to the Alamo of today to defend Texas, I would go - heart and steps light and cheerful. Because that's what Texas is.
9. Cowboy boots and blue jeans and a stetson. Appropriate attire for any occasion.
10. The people. I know, I started with this, but it bears repeating. Before I'd been here, I heard about how awesome it is in Texas. People who had lived here unequivocally and unanimously praised Texas for being the most incredible place on earth. I never believed it - how could any place be so amazing, so wonderful. It just didn't seem possible.
I was wrong. Texas really is that amazing.
It has been really, really good for me to be here. My family has grown, has had experiences and opportunities I'm convinced could not have happened elsewhere. I am grateful for my time here, for the things I've learned, and most especially, for the people I've met who have left indelible impressions on my life. I hope that, in some small way, I've made a positive impact on Texas as well.
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