Well, it's officially been a year in Austin. One exhausting, stressful, exciting, whirlwind of a year. I honestly can't believe it, it feels like a flew by, but at the same time it also feels like ages since I lived in Washington. While the fact that I'm a grad student at the University of Texas has finally settled in, I still have moments where I'm in complete awe that this is my life now. I can honestly say that graduate school is the most overwhelming experience I've ever had, but at the same time it's been one of the most rewarding thus far - getting the opportunity to teach undergrads and also work on research that could have a genuine impact on people in the future. Now the real stress comes with qualifying exams in a couple months, which is the reason I've spent more time with my chemistry textbooks then with actual people the last couple weeks.
Here is a little list of things I've learned living in Texas...
1. When you come to Texas, you will see signs by the highway that say "Welcome to Texas. Drive Friendly - The Texas Way." This is a lie. Texans are the worst drivers on the face of the planet. I find them all genuinely terrifying (as does the Blueberry, who has already had to go to the collision center from being hit by a big mean pickup truck).
2. University of Texas is essentially its own city. Need some boxes? Well how about you go to the University of Texas U-Haul! Need some medicine? Forty Acres Pharmacy on campus has you covered. Legal advice? Not even a problem, just stop by the legal office. This campus has everything, and it is seriously convenient.
3. If you don't eat beef, get ready to get a lot of confused and sometimes offended looks. This is a phrase I've heard uttered in complete seriousness - "You only eat chicken? That's basically a vegetable."
4. Don't have family or friends come visit during a Formula One race weekend. Having oil moguls and various other bazillionairs from all over the world come to town means every hotel room is charging exorbitant prices. Dad, lesson learned. Lesson. Learned.
5. The bugs are so loud and so gigantic. Seriously, cicadas? You're a bug. Stop screaming so much. And cockroaches, I don't understand how you all move so fast, you are fat little things.
6. In the summer time, everyone is a sweaty mess. Don't worry about sweating and standing out, if you don't you'll stand out even more looking like some genetic anomaly that doesn't perspire.
7. Living in an apartment is wonderful. Yes, my upstairs neighbors sometimes sound like they're bowling in their hallway, but when things break all I have to do is email maintenance. They even take care of wasp nests in my window and dead birds in my garage. Maintenance men, I'm making you all cookies one of these days.
8. People here are gossip-monsters. It can get tiresome.
9. No matter how independent you get, you will always need your family. Thank you mom, dad, and Jeff for helping me get through this past year. I love you all.
Well, Austin, happy one year anniversary. It's certainly been an adventure so far.
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