Stuck in Texas...Again

So, a few weeks ago, I flew out to Texas for Kim's wedding. It was a beautiful, event-filled wedding. You'd think I would have some pictures of it. I do not. Bad blogger. Here is a link to her blog, though, where the day is documented with beautiful pictures.

It was the first time I had been back to Lubbock since leaving the day after I graduated. Martha and I stayed together at the Hampton Inn less than a mile from my apartment. Martha is one of my favorite people in the world, no less because she is a complete and total germaphobe. She slept in a sacklike sheet that kept her from having to touch the hotel linens, wore shoes anytime her feet touched the floor, and brought her own towels. She says she has learned things about how hotels are cleaned, which I begged her NOT to share with me. I have no pictures of Martha.

I got food at Fuzzy's, Spanky's, Rudy's, Sheridan's, and Cake. I have no pictures of the food, mostly because I am bad at food blogging.

I stopped at the Pancake House the day after the wedding, where Kim and Landon's families were enjoying a wedding breakfast. I immediately decided I liked Landon because he playfully convinced Kim not to wear a giant chunky watch with her gorgeous wedding dress. I did not get to enjoy the food because I was running late for my flight as it was.

Or so I thought.

Because I haven't lived in Lubbock for 18 months, I forgot one of the lessons I learned the first time I visited Lubbock: nothing flies out in a dust storm. I got stuck there. And I was reminded that there are worse places to be stuck in than Lubbock, Texas, particularly at this stage in my life.

In the short span of two-and-a-half days, I saw (without much effort) almost every single person I know who still lives in Lubbock, including my former boss Jason, my former branch president, Chief and his wife, several people I knew from church, the Merrills, most of the people I worked with in the temple, and several people I knew from school.

Admittedly, many of the people who were dear to me when I lived in Texas no longer live there, but I found ways to remedy that.

I ended Sunday night the way I often did when I lived there--with a long conversation with Stephanie.

I spent a good portion of that Monday in various airports hanging out with Maddie Kimball, who I didn't know before, but instantly felt the bond of Lubbock and Kim and Texas Tech.

It reminded me of everything I miss about Lubbock, and why I love Friday Night Lights, and why I get nostalgic for Texas. After the craziness of my life the last few weeks, those days in Lubbock mean even more. Being there with those people was like coming home.

And home isn't a place where you think to take pictures.