Longview, East Texas

It was the time to weave goodbye to my beloved Europe and return back to the strikingly different American reality. We were headed for Longview, Gregg County, East Texas spend quality time with Nathan’s family.

Time in East Texas run slow and lazy, putting us in sort of a comma as we were counting down  to hit the road again. Texas has everything America is known for but little of what outsiders make of it. Confused? I am too. Highways run smooth, people love their big trucks, drive-thru’s, bbq pork and rootbeer floats.  You will find all sorts of people religiously wearing cowboy hats and boots, but you will be surprised to find that Dallas is actually thriving mosaic of cultures, with Asian supermarkets and authentic African food joints.

This was my first visit to Texas in the summer, and I was not at all prepared for the weather, 90% humidity coupled with outrageous temperatures – 90-110F (up to 45C).  A  daunting and pretty much agonizing combination for someone with poor blood circulation. Stepping into stemming hot outdoors from a chilly, air-conditioned indoors felt like entering the oven. Most attempts at getting fresh air lasted not longer than 15 minutes, marked by streams of sweat I didn’t think my body could produce.  The planning of our stay in British Columbia has been going on for months now was a time to give it a final kick, but the energy just wasn’t there. My sinus headaches lasted 2 weeks.

Gregg County Historical Museum