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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
