Houston: "Second Home"

Writing today from Houston, my last full day in this most amazing city before I fly back to Seattle, I'm struck (again) by how much I love this place I once called home for fifteen years. I never come back to my "second home" without a whirlwind of emotions and a big question: What would our lives have been like if we had never left for a new city back in September of 1991? I'll never know but I always wonder.

Aruba was my first home, Houston my second, and Seattle, the third. Although there were years lived in Austin and upstate New York, these big three carry the weight of my life's experiences. The fact that I've lived in Seattle eighteen years, longer than in either of my two other homes, is a testament to the seeming escalation of time's passage. Time speeds up, doesn't it?

But, I digress.

Houston; much the same, much different. Memories swirl in my head. The roads are so open; traffic moves with intention. Everyone is going somewhere. Now. I've always loved the energy. Vibrant with life. Colors. Movement. Go.

The food is to die for. The weather; not so nice right now. Muggy beyond belief, like a jungle at times. I do feel well hydrated however!

My sister's show is the piece de resistance. Each time I walk into the space, there is something new. A gala of color, inspiration, and deep thought. Get thee Houstonians to the Second Seating exhibit. You won't be disappointed.

Tomorrow I fly back to my third home. Time whizzes by but I've lived each moment. Houston is.