I moved from rural California to the suburbs of Houston in early October (just two weeks before homecoming), and let me tell you, it was quite the culture shock. Most of these things are just normal things you may experience in your day-to-day lives, but here is a list of my top culture shocks I’ve experienced in Texas.
1. The traffic!
Now, I’ve had my fair share of LA traffic, but nothing compares to what you guys go through here. It’s actually so frustrating, but as soon as you get seriously upset about it, it clears up as if it wants you to feel gaslit (gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, Houston traffic edition).
2. How incredibly easy it is for you to get your license.
In California, it takes a little over a year and a half to get your license with no limitations. When I first moved here, I had to surrender my California license and apply for a new license. I had to go through the whole process all over again, but instead of the year and a half, it’ll likely take me a little over three months.
3. How UGLY the beaches are.
One thing about me is I love tanning and going to the beach. So when my dad told me we were going to Galveston, I was so excited. Imagine my surprise when it was cold and cloudy. Then tell me why the water was so nasty. I’m not sure I would ever go in that water. However, I have been told that there are prettier beaches here and not to judge all beaches in Texas based on that one experience.
4. The Texas pledge.
After talking to some people, I came to the conclusion that most people don’t realize that saying the pledge of allegiance to the American flag then immediately after pledging allegiance to the Texas flag is crazy. How could you pledge allegiance to both flags? It just doesn’t make sense. I can’t seem to wrap my head around how exactly you can pledge to both. Seems kind of “sacrilegious” if you will.
5. Texas’s obsession with Texas.
Now you call it Texas pride, but I have to disagree. It’s an unhealthy obsession. I have yet to meet someone here who is not obsessed with the idea of being from Texas. Also the “Texagon” is on everything. Why do we have to keep it plastered everywhere? Are you going to forget what state you’re in? I’m not sure, but it irritates me on a basic level.
6. H-E-B and Buc-ee’s.
Now I’m not dissing either of these stores. Personally, I totally understand the H-E-B glaze. It’s frankly amazing. It’s like a mini Costco and I LOVE Costco! So a mini Ccostco is an amazing concept, and the fact that H-E-B has managed to execute it so accurately? I am frankly amazed. Now on my first trip to Buc-ee’s, it was really an underwhelming experience. But then, I went on a Saturday afternoon (to the flagship location in Waller). Now, instead of it being underwhelming, it became so incredibly overstimulating. Still fun nonetheless. But one thing I really liked was the NUTS. I love nuts, but Buc-ee’s nuts? Don’t even get me started. I love them so much, especially the pecans.
7. The Homecoming mums.
Now Homecoming in itself was a little lame if you ask me. It was fun, but nonetheless lame. However, mums are one of the most Texan things I’ve come across. They’re huge, loud and I can’t lie a little annoying. Luckily I was able to experience a mum thanks to my Homecoming date (shoutout to my date), and needless to say I totally get the hype. But initially I was shocked to see how big they really were. The phrase “Everything’s bigger in Texas” comes to mind. I had a smaller mum, and let me tell you that thing was so heavy. So how some of these girls were able to carry theirs all day is beyond me.
8. The lack of cowboys.
I had extremely high expectations and needless to say, I’m disappointed. One of the things that I was most looking forward to was the cowboys. I’m looking forward to the rodeo because I’ve been informed that if I want to find some cowboys then the rodeo is where they’re at. So here I come Houston Rodeo!
To conclude, moving from California has been a little rough, but exploring Texas has been like visiting a whole other planet. There are so many more things that I’m looking forward to doing. I still can’t believe that I’ve been here for almost three months.
