YEEEHAWW!!!! I went to Texas! Where do I begin?! Well, it was a Friday morning, I woke up early because my roommate was getting ready for their 9:30 a.m. class. I decided to get up and get some errands done before my flight on Saturday. As I was doing my errands I kept checking the weather because New Jersey was calling for a snowstorm. It had me a little worried, not going to lie. Suddenly my mom called me and recommended I change my flight to that Friday evening. I was so happy because originally I wanted to leave that Friday after my 12:45 class. I was able to change my flight and leave at 3:30 p.m. I didn’t land until maybe 8:30 p.m. at IAH airport. Let me tell you, I was bundled up in sweats and a hoodie since it was 36 degrees in Jersey but once I landed I was sweating. It was 70 degrees in Texas at 8:30 p.m. CRAZY!
I was greeted by my aunt and uncle who I have not seen since they moved down to Conroe, Texas to be closer to their grandchildren. I was so excited to see them! Once we got back to their house, I was greeted by their mini poodle named Bisket. She’s the cutest little thing! Then, my aunt and I started to discuss what the next four days were going to be like.
Saturday morning, both my aunt and uncle took me into the town of Conroe and then treated me to real Texas BBQ. I had a full plate of ribs, brisket, green beans and mac & cheese. The ribs fell off the bone and melted in my mouth. They were so delicious! The mac & cheese was creamy, cheesy and lucious.
Sunday, we drove to my older cousins’ house for another BBQ. I haven’t seen my older cousin in ages! He couldn’t believe I was turning 21 this year since the last time he saw him was when I was 16. While waiting for him to smoke and barbecue the Tomahawk steaks and New York Strips, I went quadding with my younger cousin and played with their two dogs. One dog is a beagle mix and the other is a pitbull. Both of them were very playful and friendly. At dinner, I was able to try real Louisiana Crawfish, not my thing to be honest. If any of you like lobster, I highly recommend you try crawfish. (Note: Texans recommend three lbs of crawfish per person. I thought that was insane. My uncle ended up buying four lbs for six people and we couldn’t even finish that!)
MONDAYYY!!!!! IT WAS RODEO DAY!!! This was our big family outing for the week. They purchased tickets for the Houston Rodeo which is the biggest rodeo in the world. This rodeo has been going on for the past three to four weeks. It took place in NRG Stadium where the football team, Houston Texans play. The stadium was HUGE! We watched team herding, barrel racing, bull riding, bronco riding, mutton busting and so much more! It made me miss my barrel racing days. The rodeo ended with a Jason Aldean concert.
Tuesday, my aunt and I decided to visit a town called Spring, Texas. One of my friends from Montclair is actually from there. We went around the town and shopped from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. There were so many boutiques, antique and knickknack stores! I dropped like $12 on specialty Kit Kats from Japan and I still haven’t opened them.
Wednesday was my last day with my aunt and uncle. I said goodbyes to my uncle since he had work. My aunt took me to this immersive museum called Seismique, it was cool and very trippy. Most of the art was alien and neon themed. My favorite exhibit probably had to be the Alien Garden and the Falling Rain. Yes, they actually made rain that you could walk through and not get wet, it was very cool. After the museum, we ate at Chili’s and that is where I was picked up by a very good friend who just moved down there to attend the University of Houston.
Thursday was my chill day since my friend had an afternoon class. I did homework and took a much needed reset nap. Once he came back from his class he took me to a ramen spot whose wallpaper was manga panels from our favorite anime, One Piece. The ramen was absolutely delicious! I got the regular miso and he got spicy shoyu with a side of gyoza and takoyaki. Gyoza was a 10/10 and the takoyaki was a six out of 10. I’m not a fan of fish so I might be a little biased.
Friday was my last full day in Houston. We went out with my friend’s roommate and his girlfriend to try and find a gold nose ring. He was able to find one! Then we decided to get Indian food at a nearby cafe. I don’t remember exactly what we ordered but it was really, really good! After lunch, his roommate and girlfriend left and we decided to go thrifting. We went into three or four thrift shops trying to find a replacement ring for my friend. We were able to find one at the last shop we stopped at and I found a fidget ring. (If you are an anxious person I highly recommend you purchase one yourself. It’s helped me calm down and focus more in class.) We then got dinner at a place called “POST.” It is a building that has a food court on the first floor and then you can bring your food to the rooftop. From the rooftop you are able to see the Houston skyline. That was for sure one of my favorite moments of the trip, aside from the rodeo. Afterward, my friend showed me around his college campus and then went home.
Saturday was my travel day back to Jersey. Before I left I was told I needed to get WhataBurger. WhataBurger is a burger chain in Texas, I think it’s better than Burger King and McDonalds. I said my goodbyes to my friend and then I was off to my flight. Crazy enough I almost missed my flight because I woke up late, lol moment. However, I got back home safely, my roommate was able to pick me up and we got late-night Applebee’s and talked about my travels.
Overall, it was a very successful trip! The one thing that was expected and made me uneasy was the amount of eyes that were directed at me. Being Asian in Texas definitely will get you stares. Also, I expected to see more cattle, horses and cowboy hats though. My aunt and uncle said I have to go out west to see that type of Texan. So maybe in the future, I have to book a trip to Dallas, Texas!