Texas! How is it?

[E_7]

Hi all,

Whether you live there or just visited or went as tourists, how was Texas?

I’m more interested to know how is Texas about ads and posters on the streets and highways, as well as other kinds of material about sexual immorality visible wherever you go and how people dress. I’m avoiding places like Miami where there are ads of women almost nude, and women on the malls and streets dress with short shorts showing their God-given “mystery” (not to mention the chest area ). Somewhere I read Austin is most liberal than other areas in TX, but are there immoral things like Miami open to the public to see? I don’t want to live with my husband and son getting used to or exposed to those things and eventually find it normal or worse.

I would like to hear about those major cities like Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Other cities as well.

I might be wrong, but I think the big companies are in Austin like the IBM.

I hear you can get a big house with the same cost as a small house in other States, and that there is a lot of traffic.

Anything else you can add about TX, please do so.

Thanks!

 

[pensmama87]

There are big scary bugs.

(I know some people love it, but I am happy to accept cold snowy winters knowing that I don’t have to deal with scorpions.) :snowing:

 

[E_7]

There are big scary bugs.

(I know some people love it, but I am happy to accept cold snowy winters knowing that I don’t have to deal with scorpions.) :snowing:

OH! YEAH! Thanks for bringing that up. My husband told me hours ago that he is unsure about Texas because of scorpions…do they really get inside the house?? Aren’t houses made of concrete? How can they get in?

 

[Kelfa28]

My husband lived in Texas for almost 2 years combined. Both were at Air Force bases at different times for training.

I went to visit him the second time he went down there.

I also went to Basic Training at Lackland which is in San Antonio and was living there for about 2 months.

My husband has a take-it or leave-it kind of attitude towards Texas.

He enjoys Texas…he liked the people and the towns he stayed in.

I feel the same way. Even when I was only there are few days visiting…the people I met were really friendly and nice.

I remember staying in his apartment while he went to work and then walking to a restaurant to order dinner.
I had every intention to just order the dinner and grab it to go and eat it by myself at the apartment.
The bar tenders started a conversation with me and I ended up chit-chatting with them for a while…well over an hour.
They knew my husband because they gave my husband the same friendly treatment and he’d go there after work and eat dinner most days.

What I don’t like?
The weather was too much for me. Way too hot and dry. I’m from the Northeast and the weather is better here…IMHO.
Also…I’ve lived almost my entire life less then 15 minutes from the ocean.
Hubby and I have bought a house that is a 10 minute walk from the ocean.
I spent my entire childhood in a house that was a 15 minute drive to the ocean.

In Texas…it was something ridiculous like an 8-10 hour drive to get to the Gulf. I’m all set with that.

I also have a hard time understanding the concept of driving to different towns and that there is open space in-between them.

Where I’m from…every single town borders another town…through multiple states.

I was on the phone with my husband and he was taking a drive to another town to visit a friend.
I asked him where he was and he told me he was on the road…
Me: “yeah, babe…but what town are you in?”
Him: “Ummm…I’m not…”

Huh?!

Me: “Okay…so, are you on the highway? Can’t you just take the next exit and turn around?”
Him: “There are no exits…I’ll have to do a U-Turn in the road.”
Me: “But you said you were on the highway…”
Him: “Yeah…I am…”

Say what!?!

I’m a Northeastern girl…what can I say?

 

[Kelfa28]

There are big scary bugs.

(I know some people love it, but I am happy to accept cold snowy winters knowing that I don’t have to deal with scorpions.) :snowing:

While at Basic and out doing field training…they warned us to hang our boots upside down.

I didn’t take them that seriously until the Cadre found a rattle snake in one of the boys tents and had to clear that out before training could start.

That scared me to death.

I also saw my first scorpion when we were setting up temper tents and I was moving sand bags.
I think I jumped back several feet.

 

[Casilda]

Hi all,

Whether you live there or just visited or went as tourists, how was Texas?

I’m more interested to know how is Texas about ads and posters on the streets and highways, as well as other kinds of material about sexual immorality visible wherever you go and how people dress. I’m avoiding places like Miami where there are ads of women almost nude, and women on the malls and streets dress with short shorts showing their God-given “mystery” (not to mention the chest area ). Somewhere I read Austin is most liberal than other areas in TX, but are there immoral things like Miami open to the public to see? I don’t want to live with my husband and son getting used to or exposed to those things and eventually find it normal or worse.

I would like to hear about those major cities like Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Other cities as well.

I might be wrong, but I think the big companies are in Austin like the IBM.

I hear you can get a big house with the same cost as a small house in other States, and that there is a lot of traffic.

Anything else you can add about TX, please do so.

Thanks!

More likely to see immorality in big cities; Houston, Dallas, San Anton. I knew someone from Dallas who said Austin is known as little Babylon-on-the-river. It’s hot as blazin, dry as toast, rattlesnakes abound and everybody’s got a gun. Never seen a scorpion, been here nigh 20 years.

Houses are made with wood sticks, easier for tornadoes to haul away.

 

[jimcav]

Did Basic Training at Lackland AFB and was shipped off to someplace called Sheppard AFB in Witchita Falls Texas, circa 1979.

Well, I’m an Italian American Catholic New Yorker from Queens, NYC and this was my first time West of the Hudson River! Talk about culture shock! Got off the bus in my dress uniform, and a piece of tumbleweed rolled past my feet! Mama, get me outta here! So I prayed everyday for 2 months that I was there, that God would get me out of that place and if he did, I would never, ever come back. Well, He did. On graduation day, I got my orders to Langley AFB, Virginia! My best friend was literally crying, because he got stationed in Witchita Falls - permanently!

Now just recently, a good friend of mine moved to someplace in Texas called “The Hill Country”, or something like that. Well, he wants me to come and visit him there and he is constantly telling me how great this place is. But I tell him I can’t go, and he asks why not? I tell him my story, that I prayed for the Good Lord to get me outta there and I would never go back. Well, he did get me out, so how can I ever go back?

Bottom line is, he loves Texas. Conservative, gun rights, good business climate, reasonable taxes, cheap houses, decent politics etc. Me, I’m not sure. While I’m conservative, I’m also a New Yorker and cannot picture living there.

 

[iepuras]

Texas is big. El Paso is closer to Los Angeles than it is to Beaumont. It has varied climates and landscapes. Basically, whatever you are looking for, you can find in Texas.

I live in Houston, so when people say that Texas is hot and dry and filled with scorpions, I laugh. Houston is hot, humid and has tree roaches but no scorpions.

People are nice and generally have a live and let live attitude.

Houston does not have zoning so “adult” establishments could be anywhere but they also tend to be fairly discreet - no signs with scantily clad women or men. Because the climate is hot, dry or humid, for most of the year tank tops and sun dresses are pretty ubiquitous.

I have spent most of my life in Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston) and see no reason to leave. In fact, it would have to be a life or death situation that would force me to leave, but even then I would still fight to stay.

 

[Xantippe]

There are big scary bugs.

(I know some people love it, but I am happy to accept cold snowy winters knowing that I don’t have to deal with scorpions.) :snowing:

I believe there are more and more scorpions as you move south. We don’t have any in our area, although my husband has encountered them on trips out into the country.

There are also surprisingly many poisonous snakes. Our family has encountered a diamondback and a copperhead locally, and the range of the coral snake covers a large area of Texas.

Nuisance critters are more of an everyday issue. We have enormous cockroaches.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cockroach

People spray religiously to keep them out.

We also have little lizards that often come into the house, although I made my peace with them a number of years ago when we learned that they eat bugs. Kids love geckos!

Fire ants are also an issue.

None of this is a deal breaker, but the Northern transplant has a lot to cope with and get used to.

 

[1ke]

Texas has seven distinct geographic zones: piney woods, gulf coast, prairies and lakes, hill country, panhandle plains, south Texas plains, and Big Bend country.

It has 12 distinct rainfall zones ranging from <14 inches to >54 inches annually.

It has 6 distinct USDA hardiness zones, from 6a to 9b.

Elevation ranges from 0 to 9,000 feet above sea level.

It’s in two time zones.

It has distinct cultural, religious, and ethnic groups too numerous to name. Houston has more distinct groups than New York City according to a recent study.

So, what we can say about Texas is that it depends.

 

[marbleartist]

I have so enjoyed reading the posts!. I have lived in Houston, Galveston, Dallas and Austin and they are all very different. Texas is too large to generalize!! There are parts that are beautifully on the water such as South Padre Island, Corpus Christi and Port Aransas. Galveston and Kemah are also on the water and are less than an hour from Houston. Houston is only around 2 hours from Austin. Austin is a pretty city with the hill country a very short drive away- and is filled with lakes and outdoor activities. It is the location of the University of Texas. I have found the Catholic Churches to be traditional and crowded- and the line for confession on Saturday afternoon goes out the door! San Antonio is only an hour from Austin and has the Riverwalk and beautiful Catholic Churches- and amazing food. Austin is more foodie. Dallas is around 3 hours from Austin. Dallas is a wonderful and diverse city. Really- so much to say about each place. And I’ve never seen a scorpion in my many years living here…but roaches are another story. I haven’t really seen the depravity you are wondering about and everyone seems to be dressed appropriately. My main complaint would be that the summers are HOT but there are pools, lakes and beaches. My husband travels occasionally to El Paso (different time zone!) and loves it- but I’ve never been. All in all, I like Texas a lot- and I’m not originally from here- so that’s something.

 

[Convert_in_99]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but flagrant immodesty and sin abound everywhere. Even in the more rural locations. You can’t escape it in this day and age. It is a sad and harsh reality of the state of our country and our world. It’s best just to stay in the location that has the best employment opportunities for your husband and schools for your children.

 

[pianistclare]

I’m from New Mexico (next door to Texas) and my first husband was a Texan.
Some parts are lovely, but for the most part, it’s flat, reasonably dry, and hot.
People are really nice.
Food is great.
Excellent schools and Universities.
LOTS of Catholics.
I’d move there if I needed to.
The housing is mostly all brick, modern, and very reasonably priced.
They don’t stand on a lot of fuss and muss. People live and let live for the most part.
Some severe weather; huge hail and tornadoes from time to time. Lots of wide open spaces, which is conducive to ranching and golf.
A very “Christian” state.

 

[1ke]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but flagrant immodesty and sin abound everywhere.

Yup.

 

[fan312]

I’ve lived in Texas all my life, there’s occasional immodest dress, but most people where I live are Protestants, and they have their limits.

The advertisements can be a little exaggerated, but sometimes they’re true. Some cities like Wichita Falls have a nice amount of people, but the traffic isn’t bad.

 

[bluerose]

Born and raised in El Paso, Texas and live about 100 miles away in a tiny town in New Mexico. Visit family and friends in San Antonio and Houston about once a year.

Best of both worlds!

 

[GEddie]

Lived in Austin for 14 years. <3 <3 <3 the place. Great food, great culture (a music gathering point), great people, great climate (90s F in summer, three days of freeze most winters); lots of green space and lake access. However, traffic conditions there are a bug, and housing costs are high just because it is a yuppie city. Jobs are always tight there because of all the college grads (9 college and university campuses) who do not want to leave.

While as in any city of >1M citizens, a lot of immoral behavior goes on in Austin, city ordinances keep it mostly out of sight.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Xantippe]

I’ve lived in Texas all my life, there’s occasional immodest dress, but most people where I live are Protestants, and they have their limits.

A local specialty is skin-tight blue jeans with sparkly crosses on the rear end.

Ladies’ purses with huge sparkly crosses are another questionable local favorite.

 

[StGerardMajella]

I’m more interested to know how is Texas about ads and posters on the streets and highways, as well as other kinds of material about sexual immorality visible wherever you go and how people dress.

I’ll probably offend some of the Texans on this thread, so please forgive me in advance and accept my response below with a sense of humor. I will make a single post so as to avoid getting into an argument.

I have worked with Texan business owners exclusively for the past couple of years. Here are my observations:

• If you are coming from the conservative Midwest, Texas is culture shock.
• There is definitely a “rowdy cowboy” attitude and a fair amount of Texas pride among certain segments of the population. (Picture Dukes of Hazzard, but a little more sophistication.)
• In general - and I am not trying to stereotype - most Texans don’t tend to initially trust outsiders from my personal experience, especially if they hear your Midwestern accent. This is particularly true among Texans from the far right political perspective.
• Business climate in Texas is generally excellent. Learn to speak Spanish. I have found most business owners in Texas to be warm and friendly, but far less educated and less sophisticated than other parts of the country, such as the East Coast. You won’t find the fast-pace New York style in most of Texas. The pace of business is much slower-paced.
• As far as morals, some parts of Texas had some of the exact same character traits of certain cities described negatively in the Bible - Vast wealth, and a high distrust for outsiders. (I personally believe there is a more spiritual reason why we have seen vast flooding in Texas this past year, and it isn’t at all related to random weather patterns.)

Personally, I am not sure I could live there. When I visited Dallas last, the economy there is booming, but the culture of the people - to me, as a Midwesterner - seemed decadent and “loose”.

Again, my perspective. Not politically correct. Really don’t want to start a fight. Blessings.

 

[iwillrisenow]

Texas is pretty cool. I lived in Austin for a while a few years ago.

Weather, like many have said, is HOT in the summer (over 100)…but it’s manageable if you avoid going out during the hottest part of the day…and AC is blasting pretty much everywhere (at least in cities like Austin).

I found the people to be laid back in a live-and-let-live sort of way. Austin is, as others have mentioned, more on the liberal side, but it also felt more balanced than places like NYC or LA, where you can stand out like a sore thumb amongst the liberal atheists and agnostics. Plenty of Catholics and Christians in general. Pace of life is slower and more relaxed than the East Coast or Midwestern cities. It’s about as “sin city” as most places with relatively young populations (lots of college kids and 20-somethings around), but you can easily pick and choose where you spend your time.

I never saw any snakes or scorpions but fire ants…yeah, you might feel those little guys nipping at your feet every now and then!

Austin has Lake Travis for swimming, Hill Country, lots of interesting food options (from fusion stuff to Southern, barbecue, and Tex-Mex standbys…not to mention breakfast tacos and all the standard hipster-y stuff like locally roasted coffee, food trucks, etc.), and probably the least pretentious creative scene that I’ve ever encountered (even when bigger names come through during SXSW).

Housing, groceries, etc. are very reasonably priced.

You’ve got me missing Texas now!