{TEXAS}, baby!

Today, Rachel over at Rachel's Country Roots and Chelsee at Southern Beauty Guide are hosting a one-time link-up to learn more about 'where I come from'!  Okay, not me specifically, but bloggers from all over!  I love this idea, and I'm excited to learn more about where these people come from.  After all, you're reading about them every day (or however often they post), so it's another step closer to really knowing the 'people behind the blogs' that you follow!     Okay, enough of that...let's get to it!       

    As you've already guessed from the title of this post, I'm from TEXAS, baby!    Yep, a born and raised Texan.     

Can you tell I'm proud?  Haha!    So, some of the best things about Texas are family values, tradition, sweet tea, the lakes, cowboys, pride, scenery, and much, much more!    Friday night football is pretty serious around here, too.  And rightly so!  I grew up in small town Schulenburg, Texas.  I know, I know...where's that?  Like I haven't heard that one before!  Our graduating high school class was only like 60 people, just to give you an idea.  But going to a small high school meant awesome Friday night football!  Seriously, the entire town shows up!  It's a great sense of community and feels great to be supported.  I played volleyball all through high school, and the town didn't disappoint in showing support for more sports than just football.  They always showed up for the volleyball, softball, track, baseball, and basketball teams too!  It's great to know that your town supports you and shows up to watch games.  It's one of my best memories - the feeling of a high-energy volleyball game...man!  I digress...   I must add, though, that the love of all things sports does not stop at high school.  Hello?!  Houston Rockets, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Texans, Texas Rangers ... just to name a few :).    Family values are also very important!  Seriously - our family makes weekends feel like family reunions!  We will celebrate anything and everything, and everyone shows up!  Family is important, and I'm definitely a family gal.  I currently live two hours away from my parents and most cousins, and sometimes that feels too far!  But I definitely consider myself blessed, because I know not everyone has the luxury to be close to home!    Colleges - there are a lot of them!  The good ol' rivalry between the Fightin' Texas Aggies (I felt the pain of just writing that) and the Mighty Texas Longhorns (hook 'em!) is pretty awesome.  It's all in good fun and it follows you EVERYWHERE.  But I love it.    Growing up, we spent a lot, and I mean a LOT, of time at Lake Somerville!   

Let me tell you, my friends, sooooo many great memories at this place!  We still try to make a point to go back, but we went pretty often when I was younger.  This lake is great for boating, fishing, partying...you name it!    The scenic views in Texas are also pretty grand.  I'm definitely a fan, but I may be a tiny bit biased: 

Where I live now: the hill country in Austin, Texas.



Obviously not an urban populated part of Texas. :) But I LOVE IT! 


And then there's Big Bend National Park!  

  We took a vacation there when I was younger, and it was so fun!  Well, as much as I can remember anyway :).     Another great thing I love about Texas is the variety.  Not every town is a stereotypical 'country' town.  You can definitely live here and LOVE IT if you're into a more urban area or dislike country music.  Austin has a music scene and you can find anything and everything.  I'm fond of the Frank Erwin Center - it's a great venue just down the street from the University of Texas (hook 'em! - wait, have I said that already??) for some great concerts!  Some family members recently went to a Bon Jovi concert in April there and they loved it!  I actually used to work there while I was attending UT and it was so much fun!  I loved to be able to see some of the 'behind the scenes' kind of stuff. 

It's also the venue to lots of sporting events, such as UT basketball :).    But anyway, back to the versatility.  Most small towns do tend to be a bit more of your stereotypical 'country' living, but there are plenty of metro cities to live in if that's more your speed!  Houston, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Killeen/Temple/Fort Hood area, Lubbock, etc. etc.    Yes, there are a lot of beer drinking, back porch sittin, country music singing kind of nights.  Backroading is awesome.  Cows exist. Y'all. Sweet tea - 'nuff said!   

      Some of the 'not so great' things about Texas:   IT'S SOOOOOOOO HOTTTTTT!   

Record breaking temperatures are NOT news around here.  And the 'Texas heat' is no joke.  It's also a 'thing'.  I hate it.  I would much rather live in Alaska - which is an ongoing joke amongst my family members - I'd LOVE to be cold!   

I feel ya little man! 

And this is DEFINITELY not a negative, but yet another great thing about Austin?  This place. 

Barton Springs Pool.    It's a much welcome relief during those hot summer days, which I believe are just around the corner, sadly.      Another not-so-great thing: the stereotypes.    Yes, I live in Texas and NO, I'm not a hick.    And yes, I've heard that we're all 'loud, rude, obnoxious, insensitive, ignorant, bigoted, arrogant, uncaring, selfish, greedy Republican blowhard gun-nuts'.  NOT.TRUE.  Let's move on, kay? =D       I grew up in a small town, and now I currently live in Austin - which is not so much of a small town.  Stay tuned for a comparison of country & city living soon! :) Simplicity vs. Fast-Paced Stress Pros & cons coming to a blog near you!  (MINE!)   So, that's just a little bit about Texas! Welcome, and I hope you stay awhile! :)