It becomes apparent as we make our way around the United States that the people and their ways of life are not as similar as I would have thought. (I mean, wouldn’t all Costco stores carry generally the same items everywhere?) I can now guess the major population ethnicity and even the general culture of the community just from a visit to the grocery store. Only assuming of course — I think the type of foods which they do and do not carry suggests a lot. Even the cleanliness of the bathroom seems to indicate the mentality of the residents of an area. Furthermore, whether or not there is an armed security guard (or two) at the entrance helps in deciding the comfort of an overnight stay. Heaven forbid if I am profiling — I absolutely love variety! The stores display the micro-cultures like a panorama that is as varied as the flora and fauna of the surrounding landscapes.
After months of east-coast-shopping, my children no longer have long faces at the table when a certain meal is served. All of my bean-burrito-lovers had almost given up on their favorite food while sojourning on the entire east coast. They would groan when the “Mission” branded tortillas, with their unconscionable list of ingredients, would hit the table. After all, they should just have flour, salt, water and the tiniest bit of oil, right? Apparently the people in eastern states do not share my children’s passion for authentic tortillas. Similarly, excepting the one in the DC area, not a single Costco we shopped at carried raw sauerkraut. What type of people eat fresh raw sauerkraut? I haven’t thought of a label for myself yet.
If you haven’t guessed where “tortilla-land” is yet, I should say we are in the wide, open spaces of Texas. Right now, we are in the middle of nowhere. Yesterday we didn’t even have cell service. For Chicory’s work we had to leave our site early for lack of it. We navigated by staying on hwy 10, and we almost ran out of gas. Yes, we were on a main route through Texas!
Not everything has been this barren. Last week we experienced Houston’s bustle and “loop” roads. We also explored San Antonio. Both places have small roots somewhere in my childhood adventures and my Grandmother’s blood. We enjoyed reliving a few of my memories at the Alamo and Casa Rio on the River Walk. In addition, we made a few of our own memories. Who wouldn’t remember the exhilaration of the roller coasters at Six Flags Fiesta for years to come? (wink)
It seems weird that we are technically now on the last leg of our journey. While there are so many things left unexplored, life still lies ahead full of experiences to be had. The end of March will come soon!
