I knew almost nothing about Texas before this trip. Time passed, and little by little, I got used to my new life. From my personal diary: "I've gotten used to the fact that my weight here is over 100, my height is a little over 5, that calories aren't per 100 grams but per serving size, and gas isn't in liters but in gallons. It's usually about 100 degrees outside, and our car speed is about 50. And all these miles, pounds, yards, and Fahrenheit don't drive me crazy like they did at first. I calmly count coins at the checkout now, even though in the first few days I would panic, dumping out bills and praying that no one would ask me for change. Non-standard paper sizes seem standard now, and scales showing over 100 don't scare me as much. When a new acquaintance says they live 30 miles away, I have a pretty clear idea of how far that is, and if a river is about 2 yards deep, I understand that I can reach the bottom if I try. You get used to everything. And it's insanely cool and interesting." And in August, I confessed my love for this state by writing this post for Instagram: "It's impossible not to fall in love with Texas. It probably sounds strange to many, but it's true. When I found out that out of all the states in America, I got Texas, and I would spend my summer with cowboys in the desert among cacti, I burst into tears. I was seriously sobbing. But that was just my ignorance and a bunch of stereotypes in my head. Now I just thank fate that I am exactly here. Texas is the best thing that could have happened to me. Simply because it's amazing. It's the only state that truly has a history. A huge and great one (in the photo, by the way, is the Alamo - a Catholic mission that served as a fortress during the Texas Revolution. Now it is the most famous historical landmark in San Antonio, and perhaps the entire state). Texas is a leader in the country not only in area but also in population. In area, it is second only to Alaska (Texas is larger than many states, including any country in Europe), and in population - to California (the state of New York, for example, is in third place). There is incredible nature here, it's warm and sunny (not so much in the last few days, but in principle, it's good) and insanely beautiful. Sometimes I look at the passing landscapes and can't believe I'm in Texas. And the people here - you can't even imagine. Truly kind, open, and friendly. And freedom-loving, of course. I can't tell you everything, but this is an incredible place. Everyone dreams of coming to America and visiting New York and California, but few dream of Texas. And that's a shame. The Lone Star State. The state over which six flags will always fly. I'll leave a coin here just in case. Who knows, as they say." What did Texas give us? We walked around San Antonio, rode a boat, and explored the River Walk up and down, stopping in various shops and restaurants. We went to Mexican markets and wondered why everyone spoke Spanish. We visited the Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Capitol in Austin. We got up at 5:30 to spend a day off in huge Houston, and ended up spending the whole day at the incredibly interesting NASA museum and saw the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston. We walked around Austin at night, where there was madness in every bar and musicians were playing. We jumped off a cliff into a well that initially seemed like some kind of abyss. We went to the coolest restaurants, constantly tried new dishes, and once had dinner in sombreros. Musicians sang specifically for us, and we closed our eyes in delight. We rode the coolest roller coasters at Six Flags, went tubing down the river, walked through antique shops, and even visited a real university. I swam with two retrievers in the river and received dozens of marriage proposals. We fed zebras by hand and saw giraffes, played golf and bowling, went to the movies and museums, rode bikes, swam, sunbathed, watched fireworks on July 4th, went to a Baptist church, visited re
+7
