Days 6 through 9- Everything is Bigger (and Better) in Texas!

There is a state where everything is BIG, and where personalities are larger than life. This state is known as Texas to some, and as cowboy country to myself and many other people from the north. I honestly had no idea what to expect prior to my arrival in the Lone Star state; a part of me assumed I would see just cowboys on horses sharing the highways with huge Ford trucks, attempting to run my little Toyota Camry I’m traveling in with a Connecticut license plate off the road. Another part of me was a little apprehensive of performing a show in this state (or even talking to many natives here outside of the cities) because of my previous notion of their conservative, over religious, and right wing beliefs, and how much that clashes with my own lifestyle and viewpoints. However, this is one state I’ve been wanting to explore for a real long time, so I did not hesitate for one second to cherish my time here.

About an hour after arriving into my hotel in Dallas, it started to downpour, so I sat in front of my hotel window all night and watched the most beautiful thunderstorm and lightning I’ve ever seen. The sky was orange, purple, blue, and black all at once, and lightning would stretch in the sky for miles before crashing to the ground. It was truly something magical and very inspiring to witness right before my very own eyes. The next day I woke up early to begin exploring the city, and had lunch at a fabulous place called Tillman’s roadhouse, which was voted for having the “best fries” in the city. The restaurant was not only beautiful inside, but it also had some really amazing food, and some pretty unique French fries. I then went downtown to visit the JFK memorial, and I was not impressed with it at all. It basically looks like a big white Lego block, and I felt like something nicer should have been showcased for such a great president who lost his life in that city. Then I thought to myself, if one of the George Bush’s got shot or killed, Texas would make a whole shrine or name a town after them, yet since JFK was a democrat, all he gets is a Lego block!

I then went to a very nice area called Pioneer Park, which is a nice place to relax from the hustle and bustle of the city. I also treated myself to a new Dallas Mavericks shirt at the fan store in their arena since the Mavs are my favorite NBA team. Then a couple hours later I had my show, and I must say, that night was one of the best nights of my life. I’ve had much bigger audiences than the turnout that night, but the people that were there were really supportive and the whole group of us went out after for drinks at an English Pub (yes, an English Pub in the heart of cowboy country). There, I sucked down some bottles of Dos Equis and we all shared stories of our travels, of our love for poetry and spoken word, and how Yankee boys and Texans are all not that different from one another after all. That night will be one that I will never forget, and I was honored to be treated to such nice southern hospitality and Texas charm. In the midst of all the smiles, laughs, and stories being shared, one woman constantly turned to me and kept shouting in a joyful manner, "Welcome to Texas"....well, with the help of her and my other new friends, I definitely felt very welcome and almost at home.

The next morning I left Dallas to head to San Antonio. On the way there, I stopped through Austin to check out the University of Texas campus (which I was really impressed with) and an area in town called 6^th street (which is a big nightlife, bar, restaurant, and entertainment area). When I arrived to San Antonio, I explored the world famous River Walk for awhile, sampled some Tex-Mex food, and just took in the beautiful scenery. I then walked over to the Alamo, which also had to be one of the most beautiful landmarks I have ever seen. Early the next morning, I briefly visited Mission Concepcion, then took a boat ride on the River Walk; the perfect, picturesque ending to a perfect time in a perfect state.

Overall, Texas surprised me in many ways. First off, I knew it was one of the biggest states in the country, but you don’t really have an appreciation or understanding of that until you drive through it. At some points I would be driving for 8 hours straight while looking at the very same sight (desert and mountains and oil pumps) with no signs of civilization at all, and even though this was extremely beautiful and serene, it also tended to be redundant at the same time. Moreso than the landscape, the people here surprised me more than anything. The negative stereotypes of the citizens here (from my experiences at least) are hardly true at all. The people of Texas are just simple folk who enjoy the good things in life, and the majority of the people I met here were not narrow minded or shoving Bibles in my face or extremely right wing at all. And even the people I met that I may not share the same views with, we embraced the things we had in common rather than dispute and debate over topics we disagree on, and as an outsider looking in, that’s more than I can ever ask for while coming to a new part of the country for the first time. In a nutshell, Texas was definitely one of the most diverse, interesting, fun, and just plain awesome states I’ve ever been to. I never thought I would say this in a million years, but I love Texas and I would actually consider moving down here at some point. Can’t wait to come back to the Lone Star state again, but until then, I continue my travels out west to New Mexico and beyond, and I will not rest until I can dig my toes in the sands of the California Coast. Adios and Gracias, Texas!