Cracker Barrel

Since being in Texas, one of my favorite restaurants is Cracker Barrel. They serve breakfast all day long, but also have lunch and dinner options.

I absolutely love their French Toast! It's one of the best places for french toast and one of the main reasons why I love eating at Cracker Barrel. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals.

Cracker Barrel is a unique restaurant. Before walking in, there's a mini-shop with candy, books, decorations, and more. It reminds you of being in an old country store. In the restaurant, you feel as if you are in an old country home.










Cracker Barrel is a place you'll want to try, if you've never been here before. It's a great place for breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner. It's reasonable and the food is great!

Texas Hotter N Hell 100K Bike Event

The Hotter N Hell 100K event kicked off on Saturday, August 29, 2009. As a volunteer for Station #2, I had a chance to see what this major Texas event is all about! Every year, people from throughout the world participate in the 100k bike-athon and volunteers come out to support them.

The theme for Station #2 rest stop was a Luau. The competitive bikers passed the station quite early in the morning, competiting in the 100k. However, like an incredible rush, all the other bikers began to show up at our station for fresh fruit, drinks, and photo-taking with several men and women dressed in hula skirts and coconut bras.








I really enjoyed being a volunteer. It was wonderful to see how appreciative the bikers were for being able to have a rest stop where they could fill their water bottles up and get some food to eat. There was also a lot of team work among the volunteers. It was a lot of hard work, but definitely worth the effort!

Texas Tax-Free Weekend

I love shopping and this past weekend, it was all about tax-free shopping! In Hawaii, I've never experienced "tax-free" anything, so it was great to shop in Dallas on Saturday!

The mall was extremely crowded, but I could care less. I bought my first pair of boots! I'm definitely heading back to the mall for another pair. I also had the chance to buy a couple more clothes, which I definitely need since I only came here with about 3 dresses since it was the lightest thing to carry.




Besides the shopping, on our two hour drive to Dallas, I noticed the most incredibly beautiful homes and apartments. They were also ridiculously affordable compared to Hawaii rates. I only wish I could live in such beautiful homes too!


I haven't written for the longest time since I've had a ton of homework and especially because my internet connection here isn't the greatest. However, this past weekend has been awesome!

A Squirrel

Quiet Days in Texas

Lately, I haven't done much! Although I am still enjoying my stay in the small Texas town that I'm in, there sure isn't a lot for me to do right now. I still love it though.

It's so cool to see rabbits everywhere ... They are everywhere and it's awesome. In Hawaii, we only keep rabbits as pets and there definitely aren't any rabbits, deer, racoons, and other creatures roaming around. There are also a ton of crickets here I noticed. I still have to capture the awesome sunrise here too.

I don't have a car right now, but luckily I've been able to at least visit a Star Bucks and had the chance to eat at Olive Garden and Chilis too (Thank Goodness). One of my friends has a car, so once in a great while she'll ask to go out. Oftentimes, she says she is anti-social, but when she is in the mood to go someplace, i'm so happy!

Since being here, I've watched "The Ugly Truth" and "Funny People." Both movies were great and super funny! There's a bus, luckily, that I catch to the mall. The mall is very small, but I'm glad there's at least one around here! I definitely miss my car.

Simple Texas Moments

Although I'm staying in a small, quiet region of Texas, I appreciate the simplicity the area has to offer.

There are a ton of people who may complain there's nothing to do, but I enjoy being here because it's so different. I love how the day drags on ... I really mean it. It doesn't get dark out until 9:00 p.m., which makes me feel as if I have more time in a day. I love the slow place of life here!

I noticed this tree on the walk home and I think it's very beautiful! Yes, my life has totally become much more simplistic since much isn't around! I'm starting to notice things I might not have previously and it's nice to just be in the moment. Is this an Oak Tree? I love the way the trees look. Too classic!



The sunsets are awesome here, but nothing like the sunrises ... I must capture at least one sunrise on camera before leaving this small town. It was mesmerizing to see the sunrise, as I might've mentioned in a previous blog ... On the bus ride to school, I mentioned how I've never seen anything like a Texas sunrise. My classmate responded "Aren't you from Hawaii?" yes, I may be from Hawaii, but I've never witnessed a sunrise where the sun is glowing red and larger than I've ever seen in my entire life.



In smaller Texas towns, the shopping isn't the greatest, but I noticed some interesting buildings including a club called "Fuglies."




These are my recent observations ... yes, nothing fancy, but defintily different than what I'm used to. I am definitely having a great time here! I'm definitely easily pleased and try my best to appreciate my travels.

Extremely Hot Texas Days

Lately, it has been extremely hot here in Texas! It hit 100 degrees already and will get worse. I guess I'll get to finally experience extreme heat! Walking to the store for even 10 minutes can make you feel uneasy. I have to periodically stop to hang out under a tree or two before continuing my walk to the store. Luckily, everything is in close distance! I cannot imagine how hot it must be for people who actually do live in the desert with temperatures at 120 degrees. It's insane.

I noticed there are a ton of movie theaters everywhere! It seems like a good idea to go to the movies especially when it's hot. I've been drinking water and juice like crazy to avoid dehydration. Today, one of my classmates had a bad headache. I definitely think she needs to drink more water.

My Texas Dorm

While studying in Texas, I'll be staying in a dorm, but I really like the place I'm staying at. There's air conditioning, a fridge, and other amenities. It reminds me of a hotel.

I'm happy to say that I met a friend, my next door neighbor. It's funny how wet met. I had walked home in the blaring sun and felt completely disoriented by the time I arrived home. I wanted to meet my neighbor before settling into my room, as she is female who I have to share a bathroom with. I knocked on her door. All of a sudden, a guy comes out of nowhere and says "Are you the one who lives next door?" while trying to open the room I thought was mine. At that moment, I had to pause and think for a moment when I realized, I had been knocking on my own door! I thought his room was mine and that the door I had been knocking on was my neighbors. Totally embarrassing! I laugh at it now, but it sure was embarrassing. I still haven't met my other neighbor, the female I share a bathroom with.

Today, while I was heading out to the mall, he asked to tag along. We went to the mall and also watched "The Ugly Truth." It was great.

Well, here's my room for the next 6 weeks: