From Ohio To Texas – One Year Later
This month marks the one-year anniversary since my family packed up and moved from a small suburb of Toledo, Ohio to the burbs of Houston, Texas. We left during one of the biggest snowstorms and cold spells Toledo had ever had. Although we were sad about leaving family and friends, we were winter weary and looking forward to a change in scenery and weather.
Since leaving for life in the big city, I’ve learned a lot about the Houston area and Texas in general. Here I present to you the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Texans Love Texas
No really. I think I’ve moved to Texamerica. It’s not official, but in it’s heart, Texas has already seceded from the Union. Texas pride is like nothing I’ve ever seen. The Lone Star State even has it’s own Pledge of Allegiance. The kids in school do the traditional pledge of allegiance to the American flag and then pledge their hearts, souls and first born to the Texas flag. And speaking of flags, they are everywhere! Where there is an American flag, there will be a Texas flag. You go to an event, you are handed a Texas flag. Honestly, I’m not even sure if I’ve ever seen the Ohio flag. I couldn’t even tell you what it looks like.
They also have many slogans that are proudly displayed on bumper stickers and signs. “Don’t Mess With Texas!” Check. You better not even think of breaking into a house around these parts. You will more than likely be a shooting victim on the news. “Everything’s Bigger in Texas!” Double check. The schools, the churches, the houses – huge. Even the steak portions my husband has gotten at restaurants could feed a family of 5 for days! Texas is like Ohio on steroids.
Never a Dull Moment
One can never say, “I’m bored” here. The Houston area has so much to do for the young, old, and families alike. It can truly be a fun place to be. There are always festivals, great parks, nearby beaches, professional sports teams. The list goes on. I’ve heard the nightlife is pretty vibrant too. But if you’re a 30-something married mom like me (with little access to babysitters), who really cares about that part. They could have one bar and that would be fine for me.
And there will never be a shortage of concerts to go to. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, located in a nearby suburb called The Woodlands, was ranked number 2 amongst the top 100 amphitheaters in the world based on tickets sold in 2014. Oh, the concerts I would have gone to this past year if we had someone to leave the kids with. However, since I live close to the Pavilion, I was treated to a free concert when Drake and Lil’ Wayne came to town. And by that I mean it was so loud that I could hear the thumping bass and garbled singing/rapping from my house.
Traffic
Houston traffic is insane and I hate it. It’s not just rush hour (which is always a parking lot). It’s bad at the most random times of the day. I swear, the I-45 is the devil. I need a sedative just thinking about driving here and doubt I will ever get used to it. I am embarrassed at any complaining I ever did about the traffic in Ohio. That was child’s play. And why do people here tailgate you, zoom around and then once in front of you go 10 miles per hour slower then you were going. It’s crazy.
And good luck parking if you’re going to an event. We still have yet to go the zoo because the couple of times we tried, we couldn’t find a parking space. We’ve skipped a few things we wanted to go to because of the anticipated parking nightmares. If you are willing to park miles away and walk, this won’t be as big of an issue. But we are lazy bums. We don’t want to do all that walking!
Where Have All the Cowboys Gone
I’ll be honest. I imagined Texas being a more honky tonk, cowboy hat, boot wearing, “how y’all doing!” place then it has turned out to be. At least Houston isn’t. I rarely see anyone wearing the stereotypical Texas garb and southern accents are not very prevalent, although “y’all” has been pretty popular. I imagine it’s because Houston is made up of a bunch of transplants. Everyone seems to have moved here from somewhere else. Most likely due to the amazing job market and low cost of living. But I can get my Texas flavor if I go further out of the city.
The Weather
I have a love/hate relationship with the weather in Houston. The humidity is killer. I take back everything I ever said about there being no difference between wet heat and dry heat when it’s hot. Oh yes, there certainly is! My first summer felt like the city was thrown into Hell, with ovens baking at 350 degrees and hot showers going at full steamy blast. And then take all that and put it into one big, steamy sauna. I have never sweated so much in my life. I gave up on trying to look “cute” and embraced the sweaty, frizzy-haired mess that I had become. But the early Spring, late Fall, and Winter can be very nice and pleasant. Little to no snow, no sub-zero temperatures, and the humidity goes down. It makes me remember why I was looking forward to moving here.
Final Thoughts
After a year in the Houston area, I have come to realize that I am just a small town girl at heart. This has been a true culture shock to me in many ways. We’ve had some good times and found a way to make the most of the not so good. But the most important thing that I’ve taken away from this experience is that home is where the heart is. And I can survive anywhere as long as I have my family by my side. Except for the I-45. I need Prozac to survive that.
