5 Things I’m Going to Miss About Texas

Well, it’s official—I’m leaving the Great State of Texas for the better part of a year in September to be a language assistant in Spain. I’m overjoyed about going there, but, naturally, there are a few things I’m going to miss about home.

Before I begin, I need to hat-tip Tyler Donahue—a fellow language assistant and denizen of the Metroplex—for inspiring me to write this post. He wrote about the top ten things he’ll miss about the U.S. back in May, and I thought I’d add my two cents.

Texas Star Ferris Wheel, State Fair of Texas
Texas Star Ferris Wheel

1) Food

Yes, I know, it’s terrible this is number one, but food just came to my mind first! Anyway, Tex-Mex and Texas barbeque hold a special place in my heart, and there’s just no way I’m going to be able to find it across the Atlantic. Also, I really enjoy the variety of foods available in the States; people from probably every country in the world immigrate here and bring their cultures, languages, and their cuisines. I just love how in American cities we can have an Indian restaurant, a sushi shop, and a Salvadorean hole-in-the-wall place all on the same corner.

2) Family and friends

I was born in the state of Indiana, raised in Texas, and went to college in Arkansas, so almost everyone I know is American. If it weren’t for email, social media, and Skype, I don’t know how I would handle being gone for nine months. Still, it’s going to be hard leaving all my peeps stateside!

3) Speaking English

Okay, I’ll admit it, I can be lazy. And as a native speaker of English, speaking that language is something very easy to do. I don’t have to work much to talk, and expressing my opinion on something is effortless (if a little clunky at times). Fast forward to October, I’m going to be worn out every day just trying to survive in Spanish. I mean—yay! I’m going to Spain where I can finally speak Spanish all the time!—but it will be tiring.

4) Being comfortable

This is related to #3 above, but once you live in the same place for twenty years, you start to get a little comfortable, know your way around, and gain routines. I’m going to know nothing when I move to southern Spain, and that will be tough for the first few weeks.

5) Thunderstorms

Well, I don’t know much about Spanish weather, but every so often we have a monster-sized thunderstorm in Texas, and I LOVE it. I enjoy experiencing the gradual rumble of thunder that builds up to dark, gusty skies that drop buckets upon buckets of rain. I especially like going to sleep and waking up to storms. Who knows what things will be like in Andalucía, so far from the rainy north?

I followed up this post with a similar one about the top five things I’m looking forward to about Spain.

If you’ve ever been abroad, what have you missed the most about home? Post in the comments below!

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