When I told my loved ones that I would be spending my third year studying abroad at the University of Texas at Austin, they generally replied with one of two responses – “wow that’s so cool!” or “why on Earth would you want to do that?” I similarly ricocheted between the extremes of utter joy and disbelief as I settled into life in the live music capital of the world.
Such shock should have been checked by preparation though, as the cliché of “everything is bigger in Texas” rang true across the state. I should have known that pick-up trucks would be so massive that the frat boys’ egos could fit underneath, but equally I should have known that the people would have the kindest hearts and welcome me with overwhelming fanfare.
Austin is a city of contradictions, a blue island in a red sea. A dramatic city where political views rub up against one another to the tune of country music at line dancing honky tonks. Brash, patriotic Kumbaya’s unite the entire student body at football tailgates where screams of “Texas fight!” make you feel part of a community bigger than yourself. Living in the US felt like living in the spotlight, with every experience heightened by a sense of consequence.
I lived my best days sunning myself by the rooftop pool of my apartment block, kicking up my cowboy boots at the Austin Rodeo, eating delicious Tex-Mex tacos and learning from incredible professors. I lived my worst days watching riot police with assault rifles pepper spray students for protesting on campus.
Such was the volatile nature of my life abroad. “Don’t tread on me” is an adage revered by many Texans, referring to the native rattlesnake that will lethally attack if stepped upon. Equal parts beauty and danger, the snake perfectly captures the spirit of the state of Texas.
Illustration by Emily Lucas
