Things I Learned in Texas

I lived in Texas for 10 years. The reason that got me there is complicated, and the reason that brought me back is currently almost 4 years old.

I made friends, lost friends, made more friends and cried when I left. I honestly consider it "home" even though I was raised in New York and also lived in New England.

There are some fairly dramatic things I learned in Texas, and I'd like to share those with you:

• People matter, and people come first. The Northeast is always so rushed and people don't seem to always want to put other people first. I made friendships and connections in Texas. I laughed, they laughed (at me, likely) but it was about PEOPLE. Human relationships are the most important thing.
• Animals are awesome! Growing up I saw a few animals in person, but the animals in Texas are way cool! From armadillos to snakes to fire ants to longhorns... oh my, the list just keeps going. Plus, I visited several zoos from here to there and back and got to see even more animals that were downright amazing. (Pandas, anyone?)
• Plants are awesome, too! Bluebonnets, prickly pear cactus, butterfly bush, tepin peppers... all very cool.
• Heck, rocks are awesome as well. Travertine. That's all I'm saying.
• How to apply makeup. Pretty much everything I know about makeup, nails, and skin care, I learned in Texas. Let's just say I went the grunge route in college and leave it at that. In Texas, I learned all about Ulta and Sally Beauty, and how to make your makeup stay, despite the heat.
• Makeup melts. Who knew, right? Yeah, around the 100 degree mark, makeup starts melting and dripping. Yuck. Even yuckier when it's on your face.
• Adversity can be overcome. It's hard, and challenging, and it sucks. But when you are faced with adversity, you are quite capable of pulling up your bootstraps and getting over it. Honest.
• It's ok to be sweet AND sassy! Texas women, in particular, have this uncanny ability to be able to smile at you while plotting against you. Call it "apple pie with arsenic", call it "...the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip." (Winston Churchill said the second one). However you want to say it, it is an amazing ability.
• Live music in small venues is the best concert experience ever. I've done the huge ampitheater venues, and outside concerts, and the best music events I have been to are in Austin, Texas. You can see, meet, talk to, and possibly even touch, the musicians. It's incredible.
• Food can be incredible. It was in Texas where I acquired a taste for: sushi, raw oysters, Thai, Indian, brisket, crayfish boil, queso flameado, and hamburgers the size of, well, Texas. Yeah, I missed pizza and bagels, but it's just pizza and bagels. Nothing compares to a well prepared tortilla soup!
• Margaritas are good only when they are done right. I never thought I would say that, because I frequently never even ordered a margarita when I went out, but when I did, they tasted delicious. I, regrettably, cannot find a well mixed margarita north of the Mason-Dixon line. 
• Men can be amazing. Suffice it to say that my immediate experience with men right before I moved to Texas was less than. I met a handful of truly amazing men in Texas that I owe a great deal of gratitude to. Their honor towards women, respect, ability to communicate and the things they took the time to teach me is something I hold dear. Thank you.
• All women are beautiful. It's strange, but before I lived in Texas, I never thought much about how women perceive themselves and other women. Many of the women I knew when I was younger just seemed really unhappy about who they were, and I can count on one hand the number of adult women in my young life who were confident enough to be inspiring to me. When I got to Texas, I slowly learned that every single wonderful woman I met was beautiful. I could seriously write an entire book of vignettes highlighting women I met in my 10 years in Texas, and how each one of them have such an amazing personality, vibrant view on life, incredible backstory, the confidence to hold feminine heads up high, and the strength to persevere through some truly awful life experiences. Some of my Texas friends, if you are reading this, I'm thinking of you! <3 Don't make me tag you! (cause I will)