From the beginning of college, I have always told people: mi casa es tu casa. Well y’all, it finally happened, my Ole Miss world met my Texas world. And who else than my big to have the honor of being my first college friend to visit the city I call home.
I picked Kelsey up from the airport holding a sign with her in a cowboy hat, it was a beautimous cut and paste piece.
Her first 30 minutes in Texas were spent driving around the ever beautiful Austin airport (shoutout to the short term parking garage being full for the first time in my AND my father’s lifetime, G Lot is the place to be). Hopefully, I made up for it by taking her to Torchy’s Tacos immediately after exiting the airport parking lot. She had a Tipsy Chick and a Trailer Park, Trashy of course (and, yes that is my order). Kelsey was only slightly put off by the soda fountain, a Diet Coke purist, she had to settle for the all natural sodas of the ATX. We capped off the night with a Neill family meet and greet and Rudy’s barbecue.
Kelsey had two requests for her Texas trip: Whataburger and Tex-Mex. Whataburger was the obvious choice for lunch on Thursday, she had a #7 and since she is weird she didn’t even try the Fancy Ketchup which is arguably the highlight of the Whataburger experience.
Her first full day was spent on the best campus in the state. She wore burnt orange, I wore white #basic I may or may not have gotten lost trying to find the Theta house, but no worries we took a nice selfie in front of the Pink House on Pearl #itship 
We went to the Blanton, but more importantly we went to the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum. It was in that moment that Kelsey realized she would never be in another state that loved itself more than Texas loves Texas. Side note: did you know that Astroturf got its name because of its success as the field in the Astro Dome? Riveting stuff down at Bob Bullock.
Day 2 was spent on the iconic South Congress with brunch at Magnolia Café (I only say brunch because I drank coffee with an order of Eggs Zapatino and Kelsey had a Diet Coke and a quesadilla #balance). We stopped at all the Instagram worthy spots: Kendra Scott’s newest flagship, “i love you so much”, the Austin Motel, “Willie for President”. We both got new succulents, mine is named Ross and he’s a holiday armadillo, Kelsey isn’t as weird as me so she didn’t immediately name her dinosaur plant holder, but I sure it will come to her. I had the honor and the privilege of taking Kelsey to Whole Foods for the first time EVER. Still not sure how she is about to be 21 and had never been to a Whole Foods, but I took her picture otherwise it didn’t happen. She also ate a macaron for the first time, she got vanilla because she is basic.
Saturday was more of a practical day: we went back to the Co-Op because you can never own too much Texas and ran other errands including looking at duck decoys at Academy. We had lunch at Shake Shack which isn’t an Austin or a Texas original, yet again she had never been. Y’all I have been to Shake Shack in London…I guess some people just don’t get out much…(Kelsey I am only teasing) Our final hoorah, the last supper if you will, was at the ever iconic Hula Hut. I am forever thankful for Roasted Chicken Pipeline Enchiladas and creamy jalapeno dip.
I would like to think I was the hostess with the mostest, but why don’t we just ask Kelsey what she thought of her first trip to the greatest state in the country:
“Texas is awesome!”
Y’all heard it here first folks, Texas is indeed the best state in the country. If anyone else would ever like to visit Texas and have a trip as wonderful as Kelsey’s, you know where to find me.