I don’t know about you, but this year, I was determined to escape New England for spring break. I love the University of Connecticut, but with midterms in full swing and the inconsistent temperatures that come with the beginning of spring, a trip to somewhere warm was needed. When I typically think about spring break destinations, my mind immediately goes to the typical Fort Lauderdale or Cancun. However, as soon as my friend mentioned she had a place in Texas where we could spend spring break this year, my girlfriends and I knew we had to seize the moment.
In totality, we wound up spending four days in Warren, Texas, followed by three days in Houston. With a population of about 650 residents, Warren is situated in the southeast region of Texas. The beauty of Warren is its tranquility. The house we stayed at, courtesy of my friend’s parents, is marketed on Airbnb as a relaxation destination where guests are encouraged to spend time enjoying the surrounding area and get out of the hustle of city life for a little while. On the opposite end, Houston is one of the largest and most diverse cities in America. Being able to spend some time experiencing both of these aspects of Texas proved to be the perfect spring break.
Our first days were entirely spent outside. Whether we were tanning by the pool or playing spikeball on the lawn, we were determined to soak in every ounce of sun before going back to the Storrs wind. With all of the open land that Warren had to offer, we were able to drive golf carts and ATVs around the property. A surprising highlight from the first couple of days was playing croquet for the first time. It was not only something fun to do in the beautiful weather, but it also had the perfect amount of Bridgerton-feel to be the perfect pre-dinner activity.
In the days to follow, the weather took a turn from what felt like summer to crisp, fall-like conditions. This gave us the perfect opportunity to explore what Warren is most known for, the Big Thicket National Preserve. Walking around the preserve, we were able to see a lot of what differentiates the South from the Northeast from a wildlife standpoint. From some of the most common animals in the area — being venomous snakes — to even the trees being much thinner and shorter, it was very eye-opening to see how the wildlife is different in a much hotter climate than what I’m used to. We were also able to see more of this when we saw a family of baby hogs and their mother in a separate part of Warren. Hogs tend to be very aggressive, especially when it is a mother protecting her children, so we couldn’t get very close to them, but seeing them in real life in the first place was definitely something to check off the bucket list.
Most nights were spent mainly relaxing, watching Queen Charlotte, or just chatting. One of the highlights of our evenings spent in Warren was doing a slideshow night. Some of the themes for our slideshows included who in the group is most likely to do various things, what our hypothetical children would look like, explaining people that remind us of each other, etc. This was the perfect activity to end the day with, as it was very fun to make and present the slides, but also brought us closer together as a group. On a different night, we used the fire pit that the house had outside to make s’mores, watch the stars, and chat. Doing something as simple as sitting around the fire never fails to be fun with the right group of people.
The eventual two-and-a-half-hour drive to Houston was bittersweet in a sense. It was sort of strange to have that feeling of being back in a city, even though we hadn’t even spent a week away from it. Many parts of Houston are much different than any city I had experienced prior. Overall, it has a suburban-sprawl feel, where the city itself is huge, but most of it is made up of residential houses and neighborhoods. The “downtown” area is much different from that of Boston or New York in the sense that people don’t tend to live there; instead, it is mainly offices and places where people go to work. While there, we were able to experience Tex-Mex cuisine and go to the famous Houston Rodeo. Don’t be fooled by the name, the rodeo was much more involved than just a simple bull-ride. Before the actual rodeo had even begun, there were lots of shopping, food trucks, and an all-day carnival with rides and games. This only set the scene for the actual rodeo, which was about three hours long, had over eight events, including bull and horseback riding, and ended with a Lainey Wilson concert. I knew that the rodeo was famous for a reason, but it truly exceeded all expectations and was the perfect way to end break on a high note.
Now that I’ve been back in Storrs for a few days, I find myself missing the trip more and more. Experiencing the culture in a part of America I’m very unfamiliar with was interesting to say the least, and made me start to think about how different it is from the Northeast. Never would a person be walking down the road in Connecticut and see a family of hogs like in Texas. The thing that I miss the most is the simple nature of the trip. Being able to spend the week lying in the sun, taking walks, and eating good food has given me the rejuvenation I needed to get through the rest of the semester. But more importantly, spending the week getting to know some of my best friends even better is something everyone should experience at least once.