houston – ⋆ Second Gen Desi ⋆

Reading Time: 8 minutes

I don’t know what it is about the American South, but every time I make a trip out to Texas, I fall in love with it more and more…as much as my exhaustion with Italy grows and grows 😅.

Spring, TX, where the’rents currently live

My trip back home for Christmas/the Houston Marathon/a surprising event I can’t share too much about just yet 👀 was just what I needed after a mentally-exhausting fall. I was back in my country—with people who have known me for years—and bounced back to my “normal” self after a few days of jetlag-induced depression (anyone else get a kick in the pants from jetlag?). The quality time I spent with those I loved in safe spaces allowed me to be introspective and process emotions that have been eating at me for months…

The “surprising event” I had to prioritize last minute also got me thinking about where my life could go, and that the best opportunities for me, are indeed outside of Italy. I hope to share more very soon, but for now, here’s proof that I dressed up, got a $80 blowout 😬, and wore makeup after many years, just to make a solid impression:

I also decided I might as well tackle #23 of my 30 in my 30’s list head-on, if I was going to go through all the trouble of addressing my “appearance”. I went from nail biter at Christmas, to a full set of acrylic nails:

Deciding not to bite my nails on Christmas Day…

Every time I make a trip back home, I also prioritize the essential errands, like sending things off to ThredUp and thrifting, shopping at my favorite stores and trying new flavors of my fav perishibles (see below for my Olipop haul…bought at an unheard of price of $0.99 a POP!), and participating in care package exchanges with friends like Allie! I sent her a box of goodies from Italy (I hauled everything in my suitcase and shipped it all from Texas…because, no way to international shipping!!), and she sent me some of her Pittsburgh favorites as well as some general American snacks she knew I’d be missin’:

I also prioritize trips to Austin, because I definitely see myself buying a home there one day…for now, I am grateful it is my sister’s turf for the next few years, because it means enjoying all the fun stuff this city has to offer with a tried-and-true companion.

Thrifting. Vegan food. Beautiful lakes. Animal lovers everywhere. People who smile and wave when you go for a long run, and who don’t give you resting b*tchface. It’s wonderful, ya’ll.

But with even with all of these fun, unexpected/exciting things, the main reason for my “long” stay (3 weeks? Long? Not long enough!!) was to run the Chevron Houston Marathon, my 8th marathon!

I got cowboy boots…can I be a Texan now plz?

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The last time I ran a marathon was in 2019 in Los Angeles (it was my fifth consecutive LA). I remember feeling so burnt out by the distance and ready for a decent-sized break. Plus, Italy was already percolating in my mind as that’s when I was seeking out investigators and research Institutes in Milan to apply for my fellowship 😅.

Little did I know that the pandemic would be that break I needed..but it happened for a reason.

I failed at a marathon comeback attempt in Italy (my trip to Verona is bittersweet because of it…), and so I knew my next marathon would have to be back in America if I wanted to “succeed”.

After getting settled into a new job, I was able to focus on a new race goal and picked Houston because the timing was perfect (decent weather in January!) and I would be able to have enough time to prepare.

I met with a coach based in Houston in early summer, and he gave me weekly workouts to do while I was in Italy. I’ve had experience working with a coach before when I was in LA, but I was happier with this training cycle overall, as I preferred the coaching style of this coach compared to my previous coach.

Workouts included one speed workout, a long run, a steady run that would be held at goal marathon pace, followed by ALL the easy runs you could imagine. People often forget that improvements come from not how fast you go out each time, but how often your prioritize slow and easy runs…that’s when the magic begins.

My training cycle began in July, and ended mid-January (6.5 months) since the marathon was January 15th. In October, I ran a local half marathon (in Monza), but didn’t PR or feel too well because I was dealing with a horrible bout of anxiety spawned by an event that happened earlier in the month...I am so sensitive to my surroundings and my body internalizes way too much… the curse of an empath? 🤔

But even with that, I’m still happy with how my training cycle progressed from that point. I was hitting my workouts to a T, and seeing improvements in my speed interval pacing (doing sub-7:00 for 0.25 and 0.5 mile intervals!). About five weeks out from marathon day, my coach started having me do long runs over 20 miles. It got to the point I was running one 24 mile run two weeks out from race day, and a 22 miler just a week before race day!

I was able to get out of my head and just do what I needed to do. It was the first time I got past mental burn out in a long while, and the first time in a long time I was doing 20+ milers!

So with how the training cycle played out, I was hoping to PR with a 3:45. My PR up until that point was a 3:53:37, which I earned back in 2017. Even with these new goals, I knew anything could happen on race day… just had to convince myself that I put in the work and now I just had to let things happen as they should.

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I was able to go to downtown Houston with my dad the day before to pick up my race packet, and for the rest of the day, I tried to eat “safe” (no fibrous or rich foods that could get in the way of digestion, haha) and then ofcourse, go to bed early.

The next day, the two of us drove back down to downtown, and after walking around in circles for a bit, I found my starting place at corral B. I was able to make small talk with two other women as we waited, and fortunately it wasn’t too cold. At the same time, I wanted it to be, since I know I don’t do well in heat + humidity, which Houston is famous for.

Others on the other hand had no issue buying NWT clothing as “start line cover-ups” and tossing them over the fences when it was time to race. Talk about fast fashion* 🙄.

*The race organizers did say that any clothing left at the start would be donated to local shelters…but still…

By the time I made it to the start line, it was around 7:20am. I felt good at the start, but tried to keep my pace steady and not go out too strong. My per mile splits for the entire 4:06:39 (I know, I didn’t PR, but let me explain…) were as follows:

I was doing really well up until mile 15. I even found the 3:45 pace group from mile 6-mile 9 and they helped me push myself for that period. My legs were beginning to give out at mile 9, but I still maintained race pace more or less.

I also know that in the marathon, pain comes and goes…you feel horrible for some random miles, but then if you fuel and hydrate properly, you body suddenly forgets the pain and pushes through…until it feels the pain again 😂!

Around mile 17, I was starting to feel gastric distress, so I made a pit stop at a porta potty. It might have been in my head though, because…no movement? Haha, TMI!

From mile 18 onwards, I kept the “only two more miles till hydration” mindset. I walked through water/Gatorade stops and the method seemed to work well and help me push through. Miles 24-26 were HORRENDOUS. Funny enough, since mile 24 was the longest distance I ran leading up to race day. Even though it was “only 2 more miles”, my legs felt HEAVY.

I also started to choke up and feel emotional. I wanted to cry not from the pain, but from the fact that this was happening again…I was going to finish my 8^th 26.2, and even if most people in my life would not be able to comprehend how remarkable that is, it was enough for me to tell myself that I was doing something amazing.

I had enough in me to speed through the finish, and then crawl on through the finisher’s zone. I called my dad in order to find him at the family meet-up area, and yes I finally got a good cry out!

I didn’t PR, but I…

✅ Finished healthy and strong.

✅ Hydrated well (hydration was organized SO well on the course!) and fueled well throughout the race.

✅ Happily accepted the outcome of the race and praised myself for the feat I just accomplished.

I’ve been telling myself since 2017 that I’m going to get faster, that in this-and-that race I’ll PR again, but it’s been a long, winding journey with running since then…

This training cycle has been so helpful in that it has helped me realize that with the right support, I can achieve the goals I want to achieve. My coach and I agreed that a 3:45 is in me, and that for 2023, working on 5k/10k speed, followed by the half, and then a full in the fall is a reasonable plan.

I hope to be back in the US soon enough to tackle all this and more…whoops, did I say too much too soon 😮?

Well, life’s too short to not speak the truth, and chase dreams that take shape day by day…

Reading Time: 8 minutes

Even though I have lived in Italy for a little over a year, I do not regret spending my “precious summer vacation time off” back in the US.

I could have flocked to the south like 99.9% of the vacationing population (don’t cite me on the statistics 😂), but my heart wanted nothing more than to be with my family, even if they live in a negatively-stereotyped state.

I’m here to show you that Texas is just as “hot” of a vacation spot as Puglia or Sardenga or Sicilia…

…and sure, I’m biased because this is now where my family is, but the happiness I felt in the two weeks I spent here and with them—it was nothing short of incredible.

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Compared to most families, my family was quite nomadic when I was young. My parents immigrated to the US and settled in Oklahoma where my dad’s job was located for many years. He was given an offer to relocate to the UK for two years in the mid-to-late 90s, and so my sister and I were British tots for a short-while 😅.

Since we had to move back to Oklahoma in the late 90s, my sis and I lost our British coalminer accents (how on Earth we got them, don’t ask 🤣), but our move was short anyways. Within a year, we set off to grand California, and settled in a cozy town right in the middle of the capital (Sacramento) and the infamous San Francisco.

And we were rooted there for 15 years. I went to a UC not too far, and for grad school, I stayed within the state with my choice to attend a school in LA. My parents ended up moving back to Oklahoma in 2015, and ended up moving to Texas in late 2020. My sis and I were able to stay in California for as long as we could, until she ended up moving to Texas as well in late 2019, and I for Italy in 2020.

Needless to say, we all were certainly nomadic, given that I know a number of people who have never left their hometown in their entire life.

The strange thing is, I don’t really miss California. And as much as I’ve expressed my love for Oklahoma here and on social media, my recent two weeks in Texas hit me differently. It just automatically felt like home, even though it never had been in the past.

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My parents’ new home is in a northern suburb of Houston, not too far from the George Bush International airport. I spent my first week of vacation waking up close to sunrise, heading out for a sluggish, humid run, and then returning home to Dad’s freshly-prepared coffee still swimming in my own sweat 😂.

Shortly after, we’d head over to the community tennis courts (as far as I know, I have not come across “free” tennis courts in Italy, so this is an American freedom I now whole-heartedly appreciate 😅), whack a few balls, and fall over in laughter when we saw the neighboring Muscovy duck flock get up to some insane antics!

Most of the time, we ran errands and visited my favorite stores. I was actually excited—for the first time in my life—to make a trip to Target 😂! I got my fill of kombucha, tonic water, BBQ veggie burgers, cupcakes, and froyo—indulgences hard to come by in the land of la dolce vita 😉.

Even though I would have been happy being a couch potato for two weeks, my Dad suggested we should do a day trip. I already had plans to go to Austin to see my sister for a few days, and we even spent an evening in College Station having dinner with my cousin’s son.

But a day trip to Galveston sounded like a great dad-and-daughter adventure ☺️.

From Houston proper, it took a good hour to get to Galveston by car. Galveston is technically Galvestion Island, and is located on the Texas Gulf Coast. Like every day of my visit, it was humid and warm, but the views were charming.

Sure, the water was “darker” than the what you’d expect from the Mediterranean (or even the Pacific, the further you go down along the California coast past LA), but it was a busy body of water, as one could see by the industrial oil rig set-up.

Dad thought a “fun thing to do” would be to book seats on a tour boat and try to spot dolphins. I normally have motion-sickness, but I did alright on this 1 hour tour of the gulf 😂. We spotted some, but it was mostly just something to do to pass the time.

After the tour, we drove down a nearby street all the way to Galveston Beach, and I was shocked by how empty it was! I’m used to seeing beach crowds based on my years in SoCal (Santa Monica and Huntington Beaches were always bustling), so to see nothing but terns along the shore was absolutely refreshing.

The best part of the day was finally getting my hands on a Blaze Pizza, with toppings just the way I like it. Pineapple on pizza is a sin in Italy, and even though I’ve had my share of Italian pizzas, I still honestly believe Blaze makes the best kind of pie there is.

The ‘Art Lover’, packed with mozzarella, ricotta dobs, garlic, red sauce dollops, and artichokes (with my addition of pineapple and BBQ sauce) is literally my dream pizza. I find it hilarious that I, living in Italy, have to go back to America to get the best pizza there is 🤣.

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Then there was Austin, and I think that’s what made me think, man, I really like Texas 😂.

But to be fair, a lot of my feelings had to do with the people I was with. My sister and our bestie—my girls for life.

I drove from Houston to Austin alone on a Saturday morning, while my bestie flew in from Vegas to Austin’s airport, where my sister picked her up.

Once we were reunited, we made a stop at Juiceland for thick smoothies and acai bowls (the things I miss while living abroad… 😂) before heading to my sis’ air-conditioned apartment to unload our luggage and hug her adorable Tortie Autumn:

And the rest of the time we spent together was blissful. To be able to belly-laugh again and really be my “crazy” self with people who have known me for years…it was something special.

In the mornings before going out, I’d go out for a run (of course) and take in the gorgeous scenery Austin has to offer. The grand Texas sunrise. Beautiful murals. Long roads.

Most of our time was spent at coffee shops, eating out (or getting food from outside to eat in), and running in-and-out of Target or a local grocery store for snacks, just like old times 😂.

I made sure to get iced coffees at every chance I got, since Italy is not a huge fan of ice in drinks. We also splurged on other fun, “only-in-America” type meals like breakfast tacos from Taco Joint near UT Austin, and carrot cake at a cafe near Lake Austin.

Citrus Americano from Square Peg Coffee – Sis’ order of breakfast tacos from Taco Joint – A mouth-watering profile of decadent carrot cake from a cafe near Lake Austin

We did make sure to go by some “attractions”, but in all honesty the weather made it impossible to do anything (and enjoy it) for the majority of daylight hours.

Still, we managed to walk around UT for a bit and pass by the Capitol Building.

Views by the UT Austin campus bookstore, and passing by the Capitol Building

We also managed to brace ourselves for a very short hike at Bull Creek Preserve. We were trying to figure out what we could do to kill time before hitting up a coffee shop again 😅. I think we would have found the park even more enjoyable in the fall, or at least whenever temps were to cool down again.

There were a lot of dry areas, but there was still water flowing through the creek—and amphibians holding on for dear life!

As the weekend with my girls came to a close, my mood went from an ultra-high to a super-low when I got back to my parents’ house in Houston. That Tuesday night I couldn’t help but cry, thinking that after so many months of challenges and unsettling circumstances, a three-day weekend with my girls restored the vibrant personality they know me for…the one that has been dampened by the burdens of life.

I remember looking out to Lake Austin thinking, wow, today has really been a lovely day.

It was strange that, from the point I returned from Austin back to my parents’ house, my vacation quickly concluded. I barely remember what happened in the days between Wednesday of that week and Friday prior to my departure, but at least it was time spent with my Dad, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

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Obviously I was sad about leaving my family, and the new-found love I have for Houston and Austin especially, but the time had come to return to Italy.

As I finish writing up this recap, it would have been a week since I left home to come “home?”. In Amsterdam, the immigration officer left me temporarily stumped with a question when I handed him my US passport and Italian permesso:

“Are you returning home?”

I found myself frozen, and he sort of chuckled when he replied, “Well, you live in Italy so you’re going home”. And with a loud stamp, he allowed me to proceed to my terminal.

It’s only been one year for me in Italy, but it’s also been one incredibly long year for me away from my family. My culture. My country. Still, I’m doing my best to keep my shoulders back and head held high as I go into my second year. I’m still holding out for exciting opportunities that have the potential to advance my career, but it’s also scary not knowing what lies ahead.

I suppose that’s why most people in this world never dare to venture out, because their hearts are so full, comfortable, and safe being nursed by their loved ones at home.

Home Is Where the Heart Is… Which Happens to Be Houston 😂 (+ Houston Marathon 2023 Recap)

Home IS Where the Heart Is