No more Texas chick. I'm a Cali girl now

It’s always a little sad whenever it’s time for me to change my license plates over to a new state. Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE living in California. The weather is great and I’m loving the scenery (and the vineyards). I’ve even embraced the whole California lifestyle by buying a road bike and riding through the countryside.

Of course, it's not like I'm leisurely biking and smelling the flowers along the way. I cycle like I'm in some imaginery race and I have Lance Armstrong behind me, but whatever. I'm having fun.

Yup, life in Sacramento is good. But I admit taking off my Texas plates is like saying a goodbye to an old friend - or like finally throwing out an ex-lover's toothbrush.

It's over. I’m no longer Texan, but officially a California Girl.

I'VE LEFT MY HEART - EVERYWHERE

Everywhere I go, I leave a little piece of my heart behind -- and believe me, I've lived in a lot of places. In fact, in the last four years I’ve lived in three very distinctive cities and I have a soft spot for each of them.

In Memphis, I miss the vibe of the city. If you haven’t been, you need to check it out. The whole place has this gritty charm you won't find anywhere else, and once you embrace it, you love it.

And how can you not? The blues on Beale Street are always incredible and so is running along the Mississippi River on Mud Island (which must be  followed up with a treat from Miss Cordelia’s) .

Then there’s Gus’s Fried Chicken which comes complete with the slice of white bread to soak up the oil. I know, it doesn’t sound yummy, but this hole in wall dive really does serve the best fried chicken in the US –maybe all of North America.

Yeah, Memphis is the south at its best, but I’m warning you -- between the fried chicken, the sweet potato pancakes from Arcade Restaurant and the award-winning BBQ, you better come hungry and leave your diet at home. Because, just like they told me when I asked if they had anything not fried, “you’s in the south now, Sugar” and that’s the way it is.

Tampa was my next destination, and it too had its own charm. But instead of feeling like you're living in city filled with history, it’s all about the beach, flip flops and eating light. I mean, there is no way a sushi/pool hall like The Rack off Howard would ever survive in a fried-food haven like Memphis. But in Tampa, this was one of THE places to hang.

But the little piece of my heart that is still there is with the palm trees and blue water. There was nothing like running along Bayshore Blvd. early in the morning and seeing dolphins jump in the gulf beside you. Pure heaven.

And yes, that pastel yellow building in the photo above was my home during my stay in Tampa. I admit I was lucky girl to find this place. Believe me, no matter what they say, you never get tired of watching the boats sail by.


THEN THERE WAS TEXAS

I confess I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Houston, but there is something to be said about Texas-pride. That whole “don’t mess with Texas” motto kind of grows on you, and the longer you live there, the more you’re proud to be a part of the state – especially after you live through Hurricane Ike hell and see what troopers these people are .

I mean, Texans are tough. First you have the headstrong ones that decided they were going down with their house during the storm like the captain of a ship. And then you've got the people that left and came back to nothing. Their entire houses had washed away. Really. All they had left was a couple of posts in the ground.

I had a lot of "firsts" in Houston. I went to my first rodeo, my first country music concert (didn't know one song), rode my first mechanical bull, had my first ride in a lambourghini on a race track (that was fast) and interviewed a lot of celebrities including Beyonce and Gloria Gaynor.

I never could get away with saying “y’all” or “do what” or “hunker”, but I did love showing off my Texas ID in California bars -- because, you know, they just don't mess with you.

Sadly, now I have to take off my Texas plates and put on my Cali ones, and I’m feeling a little nostalgic. So in honor of my last day of being a Texas-chick, I'm going to play some Sugar Land when I get home and do a little two-step.

EMBRACING CALI

But don’t worry. I'm doing a lot of "firsts" here in California, too. I just attended my first Zombie Walk last weekend and am doing my first triathlon on July 17. I've already got plans to climb Mount Whitney in the fall and am trying white water rafting later this month.

I've already bonded with California and am not planning on going anywhere for a little while.

Besides, all this moving around isn't good for my heart. I have to stop leaving it places:-)