Written by: Rebecca Mitchell
For two insanely quick days, we traveled through Texas. I live in Texas but had no idea how nice it would be to be in the state again. While I do not consider myself a proud Texan, I do like my home state. I am a California girl at heart, but the big blue skies, sunrises and sunsets, and the people in Texas are dear to me as well. Even though we went nowhere near where I live, it felt like being home.
We entered Texas in a place I had never been to—or at best slept through in a previous car ride—and enjoyed a great 4th of July. I loved being outdoors, traveling across the United States, on our way from sea to shining sea, rather than hanging out inside waiting for a fireworks show at night. Of course, we couldn’t miss seeing fireworks on the 4th, so Grace found a grassy field where the locals gather. When I celebrate the 4th with my family, we sit on the grass with friends, play games and watch the fireworks right before our eyes. While the fireworks weren’t right, right in front of us, they were surely close in Vega.
On our second day, we drove through Amarillo, which was somewhat familiar for me, and I knew just where to get donuts. Mostly, though, I once again had no idea where we were, but I did know that the speed limit would be 75 and then drop down about 15 mph at a time when entering a small town. I felt afraid passing the huge semis, just as I would on my family’s road trips. I thought of the way my dad passes trucks and remembered to get back in the right lane after passing. I realized I was a Prius in a land of trucks, and I (almost) missed my family’s big red SUV—until I remembered that that is way more terrifying to pass trucks in.
Halfway through our trip I got to experience the feeling of home again. The first feeling of home came in San Francisco, way back when we started, where I remembered trips with my parents, sisters, aunt, uncle, cousin and grandparents over the bridges and through downtown. In both of these places that felt like home, I got to drive streets I had never driven before. Thank you, God, for making a way.
Texas, it was a treat to be here.
