Two Faced Texas
The Texas Story Project.
My life takes place in the flat city of Houston, Texas, where there are millions of people and enormous scary skyscrapers.
I go to a school where my whole class is only 33 people, and that includes three grades. For the beginning of our studies of “Texas Immigration,” we went on a trip to Louisiana and East Texas so we could learn about the Indians who once lived there, and retrace their experience.
We left on Tuesday, December 5, at 8am, and before we left, I had to say goodbye to the city I loved and wouldn’t see for another four, long, activity-filled days. I had no idea of what to expect on this trip, having never been to East Texas. I was also a little nervous knowing that I would have to be with my classmates for that long. So it was safe to say that I wasn’t particularly excited for the four hour drive ahead of us. We got into our three small school buses with fuzzy seats and not a lot of legroom, packed up and left. On the way to Louisiana, having 12 teenagers in the back meant that there would be no peace and quiet. At one point I sat in the front as shotgun to help Mr. Simpson (one of my teachers) with the directions, which meant I also had to answer the phone and be the bus DJ. That’s a lot of responsibility. We listened to great music, and every so often were interrupted by the robotic voice of Siri giving us the next instruction. The noise in the bus was ... let's say ... louder than our inside voices. The yelling from the back to front of, “What song is this?” “I have to go to the bathroom!” “When are we getting there?” was all so painstakingly loud. Luckily some was overcome by the music.
As we were driving, the leaves on the trees slowly became extremely colorful. It was almost like we had travelled to a whole new world that actually has seasons! Unlike the humid, hot Houston where it’s always summer. Being from Houston, there aren’t many trees this beautiful around, at least not where I live. There were trees and nature on the left and right of us with abundant leaves and so many warm colors swallowing us into a hole of beauty. The massive trees replaced the tall business skyscrapers. The grass replaced the hot, man-made concrete, and the sky was clear and beautiful, replacing the smoke-filled skies from the factories and machines back in Houston. It really amazed me that within a couple of hours we completely escaped the city even though there are millions of people living in it.
This trip was quite eye opening. I never knew how different each part of Texas could be. I love Houston so much, but going on this trip was so comforting. I felt right at home. Even though the busy city is where I live, being out with Mother Nature was very quiet and peaceful. I learned that Texas is indeed a very big state, and that means there can be lots of very different and diverse areas. I learned to really appreciate all of Texas, even the parts I don’t live in. Even though I live in Houston, I still feel a connection with the rest of Texas, especially to where we traveled. I now know what it is like to go to East Texas, and it was great. It was great because despite the cold and despite the drive, it was all worth it in the end to be able to see that view and those colors. I will always remember this trip as the trip I was able to see those beautiful trees.
Posted January 09, 2018
