I was born and bred in Texas. This meant third-grade trips to the Fort Worth Stock Yards to see cattle shows, trips to ranches and man-made lakes, and late-night runs to Whataburger. My entire childhood, I dreamed of being in the Big Apple, but now that I am finally here I have begun to appreciate the wonderful things “Deep in the Heart of Texas.”
- Football Games
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Football is probably one of the most quintessential aspects of the Texas lifestyle. Every weekend of August through December, Texans sit beneath the “Friday night lights”, cheering on their local teams. I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of football (in fact, I don’t exactly understand it, despite watching every. single. game. over my four years of high school in marching band), but there is something about gathering around as a community and supporting a team that I miss. The chanting, drumming, and anticipation is magical. If you understand the game, even better.
- Whataburger
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If you’ve never tried Whataburger, don’t begin to tell me that In-N-Out or Five Guys or Shake Shack or JJ’s burgers are superior. You don’t know that, and I am willing to bet you would be surprised. Whataburger burgers are a different level of delicious, not to mention the salty fries and extra thick milkshakes. Whataburger is the perfect post-football game, after-midnight outing.
- Southern Hospitality
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This one is too real. Texans love small talk, love hosting guests, love asking how everyone is doing, and are genuinely interested in most of the above. Coming to New York, I was in for a bit of culture shock when doors were slammed in my face, eye contact was entirely averted, and no one made any attempt to ask how my life was going.
- Buc-ee’s
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Buc-ee’s is another niche Texas thing. Picture this: an expansive rest stop with gleaming clean bathrooms, aisles upon aisles of every type of candy, chip, or snack you could think of, and a quirky beaver mascot emblazoned on random accessories and pieces of apparel. Buc-ee’s is a classic road trip stop; so many native Texans would tell you to stop for the kolaches, or the fudge, or beef jerky.
- Splitting the Check
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This is one of the most maddening things about New York restaurants — why do they refuse to “split” the check? In Texas, if you tell your waiter to split the check they bring out the number of receipts of diners. In New York, the diners themselves have to calculate a way of divvying up the checks, causing a string of confusing Venmo transactions and the passing over of strange cash amounts. Someone always ends up paying more than their share, or you end up owing someone 17 cents for the tip.
- The Sun
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At first I was kidding, but now I seriously think I may have seasonal depression. I am counting down the days until daylight savings when the sun will be out for just a little bit longer. In Texas, even in the winter, we have light until six or seven in the evening. It is so hard in New York to stay focused when it feels like nightfall at four o’clock.
- Genuine “Y’all”
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I am constantly surprised to hear how prevalent the word “y’all” is in New York. However, many people do this in an imitating sense or perhaps because it is easier than saying “you guys” constantly. I am sometimes annoyed to hear the word slip out of the mouth of someone from the Northeast, because I’m sorry but that’s a Texas/Southern shtick.
- Authentic Tex-Mex
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Sure, there is really good Mexican food here in New York, but nothing comes close to the Tex-Mex back home. Picture Texas-sized plates overflowing with beef, brisket tacos, black beans, and spices. Yum…
- Texas Pride
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I will admit that New Yorkers have a fair amount of state pride … but I don’t think it is on the same level as Texas. From a very young age, Texas pride is instilled in all of us. We have our own state pledge and we take history courses devoted to the Lone Star State for two grade levels. Not to mention, Texas colors and the flag appear on everything.
You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take the Texas out of the girl! I can’t wait to be back in a few weeks to take advantage of all of these things, but in the meantime, did I convince you to come down South? Or does this just go to show that Texans are a bit too crazy about their home?