This is going to be difficult to say. I suppose it is the male pride that loathes the necessity of admitting wrongful judgment. After all the trash talk and incessant harassment of natives temporarily relocated across the state, I now have to eat my words. Here it is. I like Houston.
As much as I wanted to hate the city, its unique, eclectic culture won me over. There seems to be an endless number of interesting, indie coffee shops where the atmosphere is almost as cool as the fact that they all serve beer. The food is wonderful, the salsa scene is robust, and there are numerous dingy pubs that have Saint Arnold’s on tap.
Along with the many amenities, Houston houses many of my closest friends. Most of my time back in Texas has been spent making rounds throughout the state, seeing old friends and family before my departure for Turkey. Houston was my last stop because the Turkish Consulate is located here, and I finally have all the documents to apply for my work visa. The bureaucracy is expectedly and exceptionally annoying. However, it appears as though everything is going to fall into place nicely.
The current plan is as follows. I leave Dallas the night of August 22nd and arrive in London the morning of the 23rd. I will spend the rest of that week and the subsequent weekend with several friends in London. Currently we are planning on attending the Notting Hill Carnival, provided it is not canceled due to the riots. On Monday the 29th, I will catch a flight from London to Belfast, Ireland. Throughout that week I will be traveling with Irish friends that I met while in Mexico. We will be moving down the east coast and stopping in Dublin. Around the 3rd, I will fly back to London and continue on to my orientation in Ankara, Turkey.
The most amazing part of this entire trip is that the cost of most of the travel is covered by the Fulbright Commission. The only costs I incurred are those related to my side trip to Ireland. Everything else I managed to arrange as travel expenses related to my grant.
It is hard to believe that in about ten days I will be starting these journeys. I hardly feel mentally prepared. Then again, experience tells me that such travels are really not something you can plan for. Even the most conscientious of planners find their efforts thwarted while abroad. So far I have the most important pieces in place, and as for the rest, well, I will ride whatever wave comes my way.
