Observations of My New State

I've officially been in Dallas for a month now and I've had a chance to take in a few things similar and different from where I used to live in the Washington, D.C. area. Read the main ones below:

Space

Coming here from DC, I wasn't fully aware of how big everything is here. I know the saying "everything is bigger in Texas" and all, but everything IS bigger here! Space isn't something there's a lot of in DC, and I had gotten used to it. Plus, I've visited Texas many times and thought I'd got a feel for the size. Now that I'm living in Texas I realized how wrong I was. The roads are huge, the vehicles are huge, the apartments are huge and of course the dogs are huge (especially compared to the small dog craze in DC).

These two horses dogs come up past their owner's (guy in front's) hip! 

Things are also super S P A C E D  O U T here! Yes, DC traffic is way worse than the traffic in Dallas could ever be (even with all the construction), but it still takes a while to get from place to place because everything is built so far away from each other! I'm used to proximity, so it's going to take a while to get used to having to get into a car all the time. Even though I complained about it like the best of DC-dwellers, I do miss the convenience of Metro!

And what's with all of the bridges here?

"Traditional" Texas

I have to say, I'm stereotypically disappointed with the lack of accents and cowboy hats! Why don't people have accents here? Now I look foolish every time I enter a room with the greeting "hey y'all!" I thought I'd start to pick up a twang after a year or so, but alas I find out that I'm in the most metropolitan and urban city in all of Texas where people don't really have accents or wear cowboy hats. The only traditional saving grace here is that Dallasians/Dallasites do wear cowboy boots...so you know I'll be sporting a pair soon enough!

Good-lookin' Folks

When you go to a place like LA or Miami, you are expecting to see ridiculously beautiful people all over the place. I'm a little surprised to say this, but I think you should add Dallas to that list! While there are some of the plasticly-enhanced, I'm really in awe of all of the naturally gorgeous people here. I just have very country stereotypes stuck in my head when I think of Texas. Fortunately, just a month in and those stereotypes are being debunked! There is a very wholesome, untainted beauty here (think Heidi Montag before she ever went under the knife) and it's refreshing! Maybe a little intimidating, too...

Money, Money, Money

One thing EVERYONE who lives here keeps telling me is that there is a large part of the population that is "pretentious." They say this to me like I didn't just move from DC. Seriously, people are snobs everywhere, why would I think anything different here? People with a lot of money like to show it off. People without a lot of money who want people to think they have a lot of money, tend to flaunt expensive things to appear as if they have more than they do. I could care less. Yes, I can tell there's a bunch of oil-made richness all around me, but it makes no difference in my life. I actually like seeing all the fancy, shiny cars driving around. And I don't have to surround myself with the materialistic people - just like living anywhere else.

Food

I can't really talk too much about the food, yet. I've been on an adult version of the Broke College Student's Diet of whatever I can get for cheap, since moving to a new state and starting all over from the ground up has me running low on funds. I did notice that Chipotle is exceptionally crappy in the Dallas area, though.  I've gone twice and each time I was very disappointed with the quality of ingredients, the fact that my food was almost icebox cold and the fact that everything lacked flavor. Maybe with the thousands of Tex-Mex options here Chipotle figures they can't compete...so why even try?

On the upside, I've been to this great restaurant, called Whiskey Cake, a few times - and let me tell you, I LOVE it! I'm partial to brunch after living in the DC area, and Whiskey Cake's brunch is delicious! Plus the drinks are decent and the prices aren't bad. Can't wait to try many, many more places soon!

Weather

It's incredible here! I can't even believe it's still winter! I have heard that everyone has been experiencing a mild winter...including DC. BUT...I still like to imagine that DC is going through another Snowpocalypse or thunder snow nightmare, just so I can enjoy the 70-degree weather here just a little more, knowing I barely escaped the traditionally cold, bitter winter on the east coast. I don't care what you say Mr. Weatherman. Let me have my dreams!

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That's it for now. I'm sure I'll have more as time goes by. So far, I'm definitely enjoying myself.