Texas is larger than New York, California, and Maine combined, according to the Animal Planet program “Lone Star Law,” one of our new favorite shows. Maybe that’s the reason it has taken us two months to get across the state and we haven’t even seen half of it. We always knew we would visit Texas on our journey, but we never expected the impact the visit would have on our lives.
We learned so much about the history, geography, and people of Texas. We started in Piney Woods region in the Livingston, which reminded us of the Northeast – the forests, the lakes, and the cold (it was January). While in the east, we visited Houston to see the Johnson Space Center, which reminded us of the chaotic traffic of northern Virginia.
Next, we stayed in Georgetown just outside of Austin, which oddly reminded me of New York City due to all the construction, the art scene, and repellent winged creatures - bats instead of pigeons (Don’t misunderstand me, I like bats, but I’m not a fan of huge collections of them flying all over the city). Funny enough, just like my sentiments towards of NYC, I liked visiting Austin, but I’m not sure I could live there. Then we headed south past Austin to the Hill Country of New Braunfels, just outside of San Antonio. This area was our favorite – the sprawl of the city, the river running through it, and the history within it.
Since I grew up in Boston, my state history included emphasis on certain elements of America’s history - the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s ride, and the battles of Lexington and Concord for the Revolutionary War; the 54th Massachusetts colored regiment, Transcendentalism, and Louisa May Alcott for the Civil War. Needless to say, I was not informed of the rich history each state has offered on this journey. Exploring the Alamo and ascertaining the impact of the battle on the diverse population of Texas was eye-opening. This knowledge helped me understand why Texans take so much pride in their state, and rightly so – they were their own country before joining the United States.
We gained so much inspiration during our time here. Attending the RV Entrepreneur Summit, led by Heath and Alyssa Padgett in Fredericksburg, helped us to network, learn, and enjoy our new-found path in life. Some moments of it were a bit daunting, but all in all, it was a great experience and we are looking forward to next year.
Also, Texas gave us the opportunity to explore nature and hunt geocaches while hiking in state and national parks. We were amazed that the state encompasses so many different environments and climates from forests, mountains, deserts, and beaches.
This state also inspired us to learn more about recycling across the country. In Fredericksburg, the manager of their recycling center told us that Texas is one of the leading states in its recycling efforts. Good news for the U.S.A. !
After meeting so many great people who are living the full-time RV lifestyle, we are contemplating continuing with this lifestyle past the original twelve months we allotted ourselves. Texas is one of the states few states full-time RVers claim residency. It got us thinking that while Texas is very different from the place we called home, there are many aspects of it that remind us of home. We plan to think on it a bit longer, but maybe some day in the future, we might find ourselves citizens of the great state of Texas.