I never say no to an opportunity to travel thus when my family in Texas told me to go visit them, I had to say yes! This weekend was everything I expected it to be, or even better. I was raised watching cowboy movies so I had a bit of an idea what Texas might be like.

Fort Worth in Texas is known as Where the West Begins. I am a city girl but I love the country. I could not live in the countryside for long, but I surely appreciate it. It is absolutely beautiful. The city is a different kind of beautiful.

My cousin took me to the ranch where he works and the land is so massive! It’s almost never-ending. Such ranches are acres and acres of land! There’s so much work that needs to be done to upkeep the land. He also showed me the horses on the ranch and where they train them for jumping. These horses cost millions.

That is what I love about the United States; it is absolutely huge. Texas is the second largest state in the United States after Alaska. My cousins were describing to me how huge Texas is. For example, to drive to El Paso from Fort Worth, it takes nine hours. Driving. There are highways in the middle of the countryside and all you see in front of you is a straight road and nothing else. You’d think you’re in the same place as an hour before because the landscape looks exactly the same. There’s even a song called Can’t Get the Hell Out of Texas by Jerry Reed.

I crossed the United States from Detroit to Dallas. It only took two hours and a half. It was like travelling from Malta to Paris. That is how huge the United States of America is. This is why I most certainly do not agree with our president’s infamous statement “Let’s Make America Great Again”. America’s size is what makes it great already, let alone the many American traits we hold dear to heart.

Texas is a rich state. My cousins took me to West Over Hills which is a million-dollar area. Yes, million-dollar. The houses cost millions in this area and the people are loaded. Driving past these houses, I felt tiny and powerless. These people live luxurious lives and you can tell simply by their houses. It looked like Beverly Hills. They’re so rich that they have their own court house and police in the area. I’m poor compared to them.

We also got to walk around Downtown Fort Worth which reminded me of New York. It’s not hustlin and bustlin as much as the city, but it was a nice city-like area. We went to a Mexican restaurant and I ate some pure enchiladas. You can find Mexican food everywhere in Texas.

I loved getting to see wild deer on the ranch. The fact that they were just standing there minding their own business was marvellous to see. They were natural. You don’t see wild animals in the city or on an island. I appreciate their wildness. I even got to see some deer when I arrived on campus at 2 o’clock in the morning! They were just standing there as I passed by in my Uber.

And of course, I had to have steak in Texas. We went to Risky’s Steakhouse in the Fort Worth Stockyards. This area is really old. In fact, the Thurber-brick streets have been there since the early 1800s. Outlaw shootings actually happened in these streets ages ago!

My cousins also took me to Billy Bob’s which is the largest and most famous Honkey Tonk in the world. This is what I’d say is the most Texan place to be. People actually wear cowboy boots and hats. There are rodeos. Everyone is drinking beer. People are dancing two step. I got to do some country dancing which was fun. Some people at Billy Bob’s are pure rednecks who’d easily start a fight. It was incredible to see such a unique and different culture. The band playing was The Charlie Daniels Band and their famous song is The Devil Went Down to Georgia. I loved listening to country music all weekend long.

I also got to eat tamales which is a dish you’d only find in the south. What it’s made of is really interesting. Basically, tamales is steamed corn that becomes a dough which you fill with meat. Pure Mexican-Indian food. I made sure to eat dishes that I can’t find anywhere else but in Texas.

Finally, it was great spending time with my cousins and getting to see this great state called Texas. I am most certainly going to visit again! Texas is just the place to be. It’s got a uniqueness to it that I love. I’m glad I got to see what Texas has to offer, and that I got to connect with my family there! I hope to see them very soon in Malta!