So, last week, I attended the Big As Texas music festival in Conroe, TX. I want to preface this blog with a note that this festival was incredible and gave back so much of their profit to suicide prevention and mental health initiatives. Before attending this event, I had thought that Texas would be the ideal place to live. Given there is no income tax and lots of job opportunities, as well as affordable housing, I was convinced moving to Texas was my next step. I was wrong!
Don't get me wrong—I love the States, but I love Canada even more. Here are a few reasons I have decided Texas is NOT for me.
The people (at least the ones I interacted with)were not super friendly. In fact, most people seemed grumpy as hell. The typical small talk and courtesies don't seem to exist. Even when trying to make conversation with people casually, they seem so against speaking to anyone. I'm not saying this is the case for all places and people in Texas, but it was the first state that I've been to that I felt outwardly unwelcome. Southern hospitality was not a thing here like it is in Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
The minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 USD. So, no wonder they are so grumpy. That is literally nothing. Considering housing is cheaper, I get a lower wage, but if you go to the store, the cost of goods is the same as in Canada and considering that $1 Canadian is currently $0.73 USD, you are actually paying more for products in Texas than Toronto. For example, a bottle of shampoo in Toronto right now is roughly $9.00 (thanks inflation). In Texas, the bottle was also $9.00, which is actually $12.26 USD. So, someone would have to work an hour and a half to afford shampoo on minimum wage.
The weather is super unpredictable. If you think Texas is in the south so it must be warm all the time, you are incorrect. Yes, it can get hot, but Texas also has random downpours, flood warnings, and tornado watches - all of which happened in the mere 4 days I was visiting.
All this said, and I am know there are great people in Texas, and opportunities - it just isn't the place for me.
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