Texas. My home. My love. A place where dreams happen.
Let’s put aside all the politics surrounding Texas for a second.
That’s hard, I know. I’ve learned that mainly by living outside of Texas. When you’re in Texas, the huge political cloud doesn’t consume you. You can move about freely.
But looking into Texas, all you see is red. I find that people tend to judge me based solely on where I grew up. Like Houston, drowning in petrochemicals.
So then I become my state. People can’t always see beyond that.
And like those people, when I think of states like Hawaii, all I see is beaches and waves and coconuts and luaus and leis and hula girls.
That’s why when I was offered a job as a reporter there, I didn’t hesitate. Mainly because living on an island has always been a dream of mine. Why not kill two birds with one stone? (Now I’m drowning in clichés.)
My job, should I choose to accept it (I have been watching too many Ethan Hunt movies), will be working on the small island of Kauai for the Garden Island, a sister paper to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
I’ve never been to Kauai, but I’ve been to Oahu. In 2011, after the end of ABC’s Lost, I toured all the filming locations on Oahu and right then is when I decided that I was going to live in Hawaii one day.
I’ve always been a traveler. One to see the world. I’ve visited many beaches across the Caribbean.
Moving to Hawaii means that I’m going to be leaving Nevada (and the Las Vegas Review-Journal) soon and headed back to Houston. I’ll be in my home state of Texas for less than a week before I fly into Hawaii and start my life on the island.
I have no way of knowing what comes next. All I can do is look ahead and live in this moment.
But I’ll miss my Texas. And my big and bright stars. My family, my friends (in both states) and dear god, I know I will miss Tex-Mex food.
I’m scared. I’m excited. Nervous. Anxious and I’d be lying to you if I didn’t admit that a part of me didn’t feel like I won’t make it.
I know this is for the best. This is where my life has taken me. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
