Dealing with Texas...part 1
"Dealing with" makes it sound like this move is something to be endured, rather than enjoyed. It's true; right now I feel as though living in San Antonio is like living in an alien culture - alien, that is, if you're used to Seattle. However, I suspect that most of the country is more like Texas than Seattle.
It's hot here. Like 97 degrees hot. And the humidity...well, let's just say that most outdoor activity that occurs between the hours of 9am and 7pm is pretty much akin to pulling on a suit made of plastic wrap, followed by a coat of the warmest wool, topped off by a balaclava. (The hat, not the dessert.) Amazingly enough, I've found myself obsessively reading Weather.com and wishing that I lived in Phoenix where it's in the 100s, with only 20% (as opposed to 95%) humidity. Clearly, all my time growing up in Florida had been undermined by 7 years in Seattle.
This is car country. A and I are trying our hardest to combat it by walking to our local grocery store and restaurants, but it's hard work. Sidewalks here are in short supply, whereas jackasses who yell out their car windows and whistle - presumably at me, for as attractive as A is there's also a fair amount of homophobia here (perhaps unsurprisingly) - are not.
This is military country. There are something like 5 bases (of various permutations) in San Antonio. Many, many, many cars have yellow ribbons and/or George W. stickers here. I can only assume that the few cars that don't are simply keeping their patriotism under wraps. However, I have seen a couple of newspaper stands tagged with the words "End this War," and there's a sense that even here, people are not happy that their kids, siblings, and lovers are being wounded and killed for no reason.
People like new things here. The newer the better. This is exurban central - leave the loop and you're faced with huge houses, strip malls, and massive churches.
Despite the title of this posting, there are a lot of charming things here, like the amazing confluence of cultures (Latino, Texan, southern), the beautiful downtown, warm nights that encourage late night drinking at the local icehouses, breakfast tacos at Twin Sisters, and the awesome grocery store down the street that seriously challenges the wares at Larry's or Metropolitan Market or the QFC on Broadway.
Sigh. I still miss Seattle. My friends. The scenery. The coffee. The political climate.... Anyway, more soon.