Howdy from Houston!

I thought about not posting this because of the recent tragic death of Takeoff that hit me kinda hard for a few reasons. 1. He was one day younger than me (June 18th). 2. I was JUST in Houston. 3. I hang out all the time and not be in the mix. I don’t know about you but these hit home, not necessarily scaring me in the house, but making me even more appreciative of my experiences. There are so many times when I should’ve, would’ve, could’ve been caught up in something and God allowed me to see another day and have another experience. So this post is about just that, appreciating my experiences and your reminder to enjoy all of yours. Here’s to the Migos and all the stages I’ve been able to see them on. Drake & Migos with my cousins was one of my favorites to say the least.

For someone who lives with anxiety challenges I sure do enjoy putting myself in unknown situations. I came up with the bright idea to spend the last 5 months of the year in my top 5 cities to decide where I’m taking my talents in 2023. The lineup: Houston, D.C., Atlanta, L.A., and West Palm. I know, “Why would you have Atlanta on your list if you’ve lived there?” Because I never put myself on a budget while I was there. This was my social experiment for life next steps. I came up with this idea back in January and was planning accordingly, but what I couldn’t plan for was the change in the economy. After lots of soul searching, I decided to go to Houston, but cancel my other cities.

Houston, TX…First things first. The drive from St. Mary’s to Houston was a long one. S/O to my mom and aunt for making the drive with me! Oh and Prince Challa. If I move, Challa is coming with me so it would only be fair for him to try out the city too. We started our adventure on a Friday to check in on a Sunday. The first leg of our trip got us to Baton Rouge. My mom’s sorority sister had boudin balls with shrimp and grits waiting on us. Needless to say, we slept great. Saturday, we continued our journey taking a detour to Sour Lake, TX, the birthplace of my Great Grandmother. It was amazing to see the plot where my Great Great Grandparent’s house and business used to be and to know that it’s still owned by the family! Learning that my Great Great Grandfather had a successful dry cleaning service in Sour Lake was nothing short of inspiring. On our way out, we stopped by the burial site of some family members. It was me introducing myself for the first time but my mom and aunt relieving memories.

We continue on to Houston and when I see the skyline, I start crying. Why? Because I am scared as shit and it’s too late to turn back. Here I am, in a city I’ve never been to, 13 hours away from my family, in another time zone, with my dog. The first week wasn’t that bad. It was an adjustment having to wake up and walk Challa everyday. YES my parents walk Challa when I’m home lol I was actually little nervous about walking outside (single black female and all) but the area was pretty quiet. I stayed in the Medical Center and to say the least, they had some cribs lol

I found The Black Store, which is a black owned beauty supply store in Houston~

Trulucks satisfied my craving for Lobster Bisque. 10/10, will be coming back.

Black Swan Yoga is a donation-based, 90-degree heated yoga studio. 10/10 will be coming back next time I’m in the city.

Week 2, I called my aunt crying lmao The loneliness started kicking in and I was breaking. I wiped my tears and downloaded a few apps. YES I went on a Hinge date lol I’m scared of those though because I would hate for that to be the way I get trafficked because who's calling my momma?

The most exciting part of the date (besides the $10 hookah lol) was seeing black men playing chess! My daddy taught me chess at an early age and it’s crazy how many life lessons can come from one game ESPECIALLY patience.

I was able to meet some of my extended family on my mother’s side during my trip as well as reconnect with my dad’s side. It was such a treat to see how strong my genes are and to learn more about where I came from. This is your reminder to reach out to your extended family; time moves faster than you think.

Challa and I started the long journey home making a pit stop in New Orleans. All in all, I rate Houston 6/10.

• I loved being around black people and the food but still felt like I would see a confederate flag at any moment.

• TOO MANY CARS! Like where is everyone going and why are we driving 90mph?!

• Inland is not my thing, find me on the coast with a REAL beach, Gavelston didn’t cut it.

• Hot….dry heat. Don’t compare the heat to Florida because it’s the opposite. Challa and I were both uncomfortable.

• Nightlife is most certainly alive and well with enough space for everyone to enjoy.

• I didn’t see much of a difference in prices from Georgia.

• If I were to go back, I would give Austin a spin.