About six weeks into Chris' first semester at Tech, it seemed like a good time to check in with him and see how things were going. So last weekend my mom and I hopped in the car and made the drive out to Lubbock.
Have I mentioned that it's a really, really, really long way from Houston to Lubbock? Really. It is. See what I mean? It's around 500 or so miles.
Texas truly is the land of wide open spaces. You can't help but notice this, when you're driving in West Texas. There's a lot of room out there. It really makes a person stop and think, why are we all living cheek to jowl, in cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin?? Now I'm not suggesting that we all move to Sweetwater, but there's something to be said about having a little breathing room.
Once you get out of southeast Texas, the scenery becomes pretty interesting and sometimes even dramatic. Given the terrain, I had the distinct feeling during the drive that mom and I were channeling Butch and Sundance; I kept looking in the rear view mirror, and muttering, "Who ARE those guys???"
Lubbock, in my opinion, is something like an oasis in the middle of a cotton field desert. After leaving Sweetwater, you get to the last leg of the journey, which is Highway 84 North. You're just getting that feeling of, "Whew, we're almost there!!", when you see the sign that says, "Lubbock: 115 miles". There's nothing that takes the wind out of your sails more than seeing that sign. But I digress. Lubbock is really not such a bad place. There is at least one shopping mall, lots of parks, and plenty of restaurants to choose from. And I recently learned that Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Johnny Cash appeared together on the same stage in the Lubbock High School gymnasium. How about that!
It was really good to see Chris again. He seemed to be happy and in good health. I was glad to see that he's made a lot of friends, and is getting along great with his roommate. He is definitely enjoying his classes and his freedom. He told me that he has NOT been to any parties yet where the couch has been set on fire. I chose to interpret this as a good thing.
