Guess what…I’M IN AMERICA! As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in my twin-sized bed in my childhood bedroom, about to get ready for my high school friend’s wedding that’s happening in a few hours. Life is wild. I arrived in small-town Texas a few days ago after spending about a week in NYC. It was cold there, but don’t worry, I stayed warm through lots of red wine-fueled happy hours (I missed happy hours!) and cozy, cold-weather comfort meals. As soon as I stepped foot in Texas, though, I immediately needed to shed about four layers, and I have been wearing shorts ever since. Needless to say, I have been wearing my mom’s clothes every day, because my packing job was a little more tundra and a little less earth is burning.
A couple weeks ago, I sent out a newsletter all about how America makes me nervous. Things like tipping, cars, and small talk really do me in. Buuuut today, I want to talk about all the little things that have brought me joy since I’ve been back in the good ol’ US of A.
Eavesdropping. I love the tea…especially when it has nothing to do with me. I can eavesdrop a little in Spanish, but it’s way less satisfying when my brain is working overtime to put context clues and different accents together to understand the full picture. Here, it’s totally effortless. I’ll overhear two girls talking and think “wow! I could be friends with them” or even “wow! They are insane.” Either way, I love it.
Breakfast sandwiches. I am a breakfast sandwich die hard. That goes for breakfast tacos, too. Ask anyone I’ve ever lived with. I may not have any other area of my life together, but I will somehow find the time to make an elaborate breakfast before heading out the door. I feel like every single food shop I walked into in NYC had minimum 10 options for various breakfast sandwiches at all times, and the same goes for breakfast tacos in Texas. I’m just proud to be from a culture that gives breakfast the respect it deserves, you know?
Free water. It’s just the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve never been so hydrated. God bless.
Second hand shopping. You guys…I have gotten so many fun pieces at second hand shops here already, with little to no effort. I am not even halfway through my trip, and my suitcase is already full, so please say a prayer for me. For example, yesterday I bought thigh-high chunky boots for 20 bucks. Gorgeous. I already wore them. Buuuuut I have a feeling that the future Sawyer who will be lugging her giant suitcase across the world won’t be too pleased with past, thrift-happy Sawyer.
Social confidence. Now listen, I’m a pretty confident person, most of the time. Or, I’m good at faking it. Maybe that’s the same thing? I digress. But wow I’m so much more confident here! I honestly think it’s because of the language thing, once again. No matter how unfamiliar an environment is to me, I know I can at least communicate with everyone well. It really changes how I walk into the room.
Space. I’ll be honest, this one is more Texas specific, but there is just more space to breathe here. The sheer size of food portions, trucks, and Amazon fulfillment centers is certainly disturbing to me, but the size of the sky? Of the trees? The fields? I forgot how stunning it really is. I have been lucky enough to see so many sunsets in so many corners of the earth, and I truly believe that nothing compares to a sunset in a Texas sky. The bonus is that I managed to come during wildflower season! My town, specifically, is known for being covered in bluebonnets this time of year.
Familiarity. A huge part of who I am is my love for the undiscovered. A new culture, new food, new people, new experiences. But there’s nothing that replaces the feeling of familiarity. Cozying into old types of conversations with friends who have known me since I was an awkward teenager or driving past that building that hasn’t had a fresh coat of paint in a decade really gives me a soul-filling kind of warmth. It recharges and resets me.
Anyway, I’m going to finish getting ready and start packing my bags, because tomorrow (at 4am UGH), my dad, brother, and I are hitting the road to Mississippi to see my grandparents and his whole side of the family. Trust me, I’m sure I’ll have more to share after that!
Anyway, I hope this newsletter was okay! No worries if not! Talk soon! Bye!