One Year

Our change of address postcard.

Three hundred and sixty five days ago today, "our family moved to Texas." Never in a million years did I imagine I would ever utter those words. Prior to last June 22, 2011, we were east coast people and southerners.

Texas, in case you didn't know, is "Like a Whole Other Country." To me, even a year later, it is so different. It's no wonder the governor's recent talk of secession didn't seem too strange to Texans.  

It's hot here but, mercifully, less humid than Atlanta. The climate is really more desert southwestern than southern. I've come to believe there are just two seasons in Texas:  1) summer and 2) not summer.  And though our first summer here was brutal weather-wise (70+ days over 100 degrees), we didn't mind it so much. It wasn't the 100 degree days that rankled us, it was all those days when it was 107 or 110 or even 113 (like the day we took our daughter to college).  Fortunately, we had a lot of rain  during the winter and spring months this year and Dallas is fairly green and lush right now. The weather folks keep saying this summer won't be quite as hot - I'll let you know.

Otherwise, Texas is interesting. The people here are very friendly and nice. And it's true: the woman are beautiful.  Many people have ties to Atlanta so that is helpful.  Most have interesting and long Texas family histories. People seem to leave, but almost always seem to eventually return.  I have had more than one woman tell me that her husband insisted their children be born in Texas - that generational Lone Star thing is obviously important.

Other things about Texas:

• The terrain here is flat.  I wasn't quite prepared for that.  If you ever want to run a marathon I'm guessing one in Dallas would be a bit easier than, say, one in San Francisco.
• The economy is strong in Texas. Unemployment is low.  (Urban myths abound about $16/hr jobs at McDonalds in Midland, Texas because there simply aren't enough workers). Fuel prices are lower (I paid just $3.21 at the pump yesterday, and the national average for a gallon of unleaded is about $3.45).  
• Texans are storytellers.  If you ask them a question, they tell you a story, which may or may not answer the question. 
• The barbecue and the Tex-Mex here are, as you would expect, very, very good.
• There are lots of Spanish language television and radio stations here.  And, watching telenovelas seems to be a surprisingly good way to improve your spanish speaking skills.  

This time next year - if I'm still writing blog posts - I'll no doubt be able to enumerate even more things about Texas.  Right now, I find myself missing the South. Though it's nice to be able to stay up and watch our family favorites The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live because of Central Time, I really do miss Eastern Standard Time, friends and family, and familiarity. I guess you could say that I still have Georgia on my mind!