I am NOT a chicken....

I've finally done it. I've left everyone I know behind, and I'm striking out on my own.

Not that the rest of the road trip wasn't real, mind you; it's just that Dallas, Austin, and Houston are all cities in which I've lived, and I have family and friends in all three places. I stayed with people I knew well in all three cities, and so it was easy and comfortable.

Speaking of which, Houston was really nice; I got to see my friends Michael and Renee, and their son Anthony; and my friends Barry and Elena, and their children, Noah, Ariel, and Maya. I got to see all of my former apartments, Baylor College of Medicine, the Texas Medical Center, and all of the places where I used to study, eat, drink, and play while I was a medical student. And then on Friday, I went back to Dallas, and saw my entire family Friday night. Saturday, I went to the First Communion for my friend Stasi's son (and my godson), Calvin, and spent the afternoon with Stasi's family, which is always really fun.

But today, I left Dallas and headed West.

Mind you, this is a really big deal for me; I rarely, if ever, do anything purely on my own. I usually get about a thousand opinions, weigh them and judge them, make sure my parents approve of my decision, and THEN strike out "on my own", knowing that everyone else has vetted the decision and approved. So this is decidedly different. And I was terrified that I'd leave my parents' house, get in my car, and then wonder where in the world to go! And then become paralyzed by my inability to make a decision without their approval.

I drove from Dallas westward, and am now staying overnight in the thriving metropolis of Odessa, Texas. Considering Midland has 100,000 residents and Odessa has 100,000, I figured it'd be bigger. Or more impressive. Or....something. But out here, I see lots of blue sky, flat land, hardly any trees, and scrubby plants that look like tundra, except that I'm in Texas, not the arctic. Oh -- and lots and lots of actively drilling wells. I stopped in Odessa to find a place to stay, and then I struck out, in search of a restaurant for supper.

First, I stopped at a CVS to pick up some things I needed, and I asked the cashier where there were some good places to eat. He recommended I go to the west part of town, to Chili's and the other big restaurants. Hmmm. I drove 350 miles....to eat at a chain? I don't think so....

So I drove south on Andrews Highway, back toward my hotel, when I encountered this Mexican restaurant that had TONS of cars in front of it. It's called Ajuaa's, and it was PACKED, even at 6pm on a Sunday. Whew. At least, on my first day completely on my own, I didn't chicken out and go to a chain, but determinedly found a local restaurant.

Tomorrow I head to Big Bend National Park. It's actually another 4-1/2 hours away from Odessa. Given that I drove for 6 hours today counting stops, that'll put me at 11 hours driving -- and I'll still be in Texas! But after being on I-20 all day today, which was incredibly boring, I'm looking forward to some scenery, and some pictures for this blog. Until then....