If You're Ever Down in Texas

It all started on a Saturday. I was working for Walgreens at the time. My shift started at 3 PM and ended at 11 PM. My flight time was 4 AM. Already tired at the beginning of my shift, I was ready to crawl into the bed by the time I got off. But as with most flights, they strongly suggested that we be at the airport 2 hours ahead of time. I still had to help my mother and aunt get their bags in the car. They had not finished packing. So, sleep had to take place on the airplane. (It didn’t happen.)

When the plane landed, we had to wait for my sister to come and pick us up. Fortunately, she now lived only 15 minutes from the airport. The first time we visited her, she lived 2 hours away. After a 3-hour flight, a 2-hour drive was a little much. I did like the quiet town that she used to live in. It seemed very peaceful, calm, and relaxing. But you had to travel a good distance to do anything. Even the hospital was a good distance away. At least there was a Walmart nearby.

The first day was devoted simply to getting some rest. After that long day at work and that long flight, it was well deserved. I was happy to spend time with my family. I don’t get a chance to do that too often.

On the first day of activities, we went to the Alamo. I learned a lot of interesting historical facts about the Alamo and the history of Texas. For example, The Alamo never referred to just the famous building we normally see on TV. The entire area was known as The Alamo. There used to be more buildings. I love history. Especially when I can see and touch it.

We stopped at a food court in a mall for a bite to eat. I ordered Bourbon Chicken. I was offered 2 entrees and 1 side. This was odd to me. Every restaurant I’ve been to offers 1 entrée and 2 sides. I asked if I could get 2 sides instead. They looked at me as if I was strange but agreed to my request. I got fried rice and French fries. When I got my food, it was so much that 3 people could have shared it. They always say that everything is bigger in Texas.

We next visited a marketplace where my sister used to sell popcorn. Now she sells hand-made wire bonsai trees. They are beautiful. It amazed me that she makes these herself. They also had these amazing ponchos and cowboy hats. They made me look like I came straight out of the Wild Wild West. I also saw a man selling key chains with names. He was carving them from wood while the people waited. They made excellent gifts for those that couldn’t come with us.

Later, we went to see The Lion King on stage. If you never saw it, I strongly suggest that you do. It was an amazing stage play and an experience that I will never forget. I’ve seen many stage plays in my life. I must say that this was the best. I’m going again the next time I get the chance.

The next place we went was a drive-through safari. We were told to stay in our cars and follow the signs. This was better than going to a zoo. While there were no lions, or tigers, or bears (Oh my!), there were zebras, giraffes, and monkeys (to name a few). One of the most interesting animals we saw was a group of ostriches. They were so used to people feeding them that they had no problem coming up to cars. I had purchased a bag of food to feed the animals. I was supposed to throw the food on the ground. But, while I was not watching, an ostrich stuck its head through the car window and started eating from the bag I had in my hand. It stopped and I closed the bag. Again, I wasn’t watching, and the big bird started pecking me as if to say, “I was eating that. Open it back up.” At that point, I threw the whole bag out the window and rolled the window up.

The last thing we did was a beautiful botanical garden. There was a lake, a waterfall, and flowers. Couples were getting married in this setting. The breeze was light but kept us cool. I could have stayed there all day. But there was a problem. Every vacation has to end at some point. It was time for us to go home. As much as we loved Texas, I was glad to see the Chicago skyline from the airplane window. It’s true what they say. There’s no place like home. One day, I might just make Texas my home.