I am going to miss this town.

I love Houston. I really do. At the tail end of an exhausting trip to the zoo with the kids today ("I'm not having any fun," "I can't see," "I'm thirsty," "He pushed me!"), I stopped in the parking lot to take some pictures of the awesome big, blue Texas sky and it really hit me: I am going to miss this town.

I've lived in Houston most of my life. I love that I know all the back roads and short cuts. I love the restaurants and the theaters and the shopping. I love the Hermann Park train. And the Water Wall behind the old Transco Tower. I love getting coffee at the Nordstrom Cafe in the Galleria. I love that I have memories of this city that date back to childhood. I love that every time I drive down Memorial Drive I think about my mother and how much we love(d) the wildflowers that grow in Memorial Park every spring. I love this town!

So I dedicate this short but sentimental blog entry to Houston and Houstonians. Here's to you, H-town! I am proud to call you my home town.