Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin—farewell! We ate delicious food, saw incredible botanical gardens, and visited some of the most beautiful art museums I have ever seen. I am so grateful to have had the chance to check out these cities. That said, in the wake of the election, I am also grateful to live somewhere very different from the political environment we witnessed in Texas.
For me, the cultural diversity is what made this state seem like a worthwhile place to visit. However, so many of the people, signage, and advertisements that we saw were bigoted against the same cultural diversity that makes their state interesting. It was disturbing to see such hate spouted proudly on billboards, flags, and t-shirts.
Additionally, this was the first trip that we have been on where my partner and I often had to eat at two different restaurants because of my dietary restrictions. Being vegetarian has never been a problem for me—not in Canada, not in Australia, not even in rural Hungary. But the Texas diet is meat meat meat. In my opinion, if a restaurant and a chef are really skilled, they can provide food without meat that is still delicious and appealing. This may seem silly to others, but I believe that the way a society treats its animals is an important reflection of where its values really lie. It disappointed me.
All in all, I would have to say that the most amazing thing I saw in Texas was the resilience. The resilience of the animals, living in such a harsh environment, struggling against people who see them as less than. The resilience of the Texan women, living amongst people that cling to the belief that they are entitled to control their bodies and destinies. The resilience of the immigrants who experience unimaginable difficulty to get there; people who are trying to create a new life in a foreign land and, on top of this enormous task, are constantly reminded of their “otherness” by xenophobes and racists. I will remember this resilience, and carry it with me as I move forward into a frightening, dark future.
Our trip was perfect and I would do it again in a heartbeat. That said, I am not sure if I will ever go back to Texas. There is so much more of the world I still have to explore.
I also cannot stomach seeing another “Real Men Love Babies” billboard again in this lifetime.
I made a video of our trip, which can be found at this link
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I hope that others enjoy.
