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I promise you, southern hospitality is real, and you will miss it when you're not around it every day.  It's seriously so weird to me when people look at me like I'm crazy when I hold the door open for them, smile at them randomly, or try to start a conversation while waiting in line somewhere.  It honestly took me a while before I realized people don't randomly talk to other people they don't know here.  The 15 minutes before my Pure Barre classes are a little quiet for my liking!  


Now don't get me wrong, I've found some tasty places to eat up here, but the food in Texas just can't be beat.  Tex-mex, BBQ, Whataburger, Blue Bell and a Chick-fil-a on every corner are just a few of the things I miss the most when it comes to food.  I almost had a heart attack when the cashier at the grocery store didn't know what Blue Bell was.  And don't even get me started on how much I miss salsa...

Thank goodness technology is as good as it is these days, because otherwise I think I just might go insane being this far away from my friends & family.  Sitting in church with my grandparents, Sunday night dinners with Kyle's family, and being there for all the birthdays and other events are things that just become a part of your regular schedule when you live as close to your family as we did.  It may seem like there's always something on your schedule, but don't take these opportunities to get together with your family for granted!

Another thing you don't realize until you leave Texas is just how much we say y'all.  I don't know how many times I've been asked to repeat myself up here.  Not because they didn't understand me, but because they wanted to hear how I said something again.  Y'all and Pecan (Puh-cahn not Pee-can) are definitely the most popular ones.

I cannot believe I'm about to say this, but I miss the drivers in Texas.  I will admit to y'all that I am not the best driver in the world - just ask Kyle - but holy cow, the people up here drive like they are on a racetrack 24/7.  Also, traffic laws are merely suggestions and parking spaces barely fit my car...

Never in my life did I think people would have to ask me what the "aTm" on my water bottle stood for.  In Texas, you can't go anywhere without seeing someone sporting their alma mater, and everyone knows schools, big and small.  Here, I get a lot of blank stares when I tell someone that I went to Texas A&M, and the only people that actually know what it is are sports fans.

Everything here is really, really expensive.  There's no such thing as "happy hour" (it's actually illegal), you may or may not have to sell your soul for an apartment downtown, and gone are the days of cheap eats and no state income tax.  Texas really is one of the most inexpensive places to live.  

Even though I miss all of these things about Texas, I truly do love it here in Boston.  Kyle and I have such an amazing opportunity to experience different parts of the country while we don't have anything tying us down.  The milder summer temperatures, no sales tax on clothes under $175, the rich history of the city, and being able to truly take little weekend trips are just a few of my favorite things so far.  I am, however, terrified of what the winter will bring.  I really hope that old farmer's almanac prediction was wrong!  If you've moved out of your home state, what are some of the things you miss the most?

xo,
Kitty   

P.S. - Since we've left Texas, I have a really weird obsession with cow-hide products.  Purses and rugs get me every time, and I may or may not have asked Kyle if we could put a painting of a cow over our fireplace.  Needless to say, he didn't exactly share my taste in art.