Texas

Calvin Ling
Aug 28, 2017 · 1 min read

It’s always nice being home, even if only for a short while. Life moves slower in Austin. That’s what makes it comfortable.

No matter what my Uber drivers say when I tell them I’ve been in the Bay Area for 5 years: Texas will always be home. Texas is where I learned to be a person. California is where I put my learnings into practice and began to live.

I’ll always say “y’all” in emails (bonus points for “all y’all”). I’ll always love BBQ. I’ll always love Tex-Mex, no matter how many times my phone tries to correct Mex to Amex. The spirit of Austin is something I don’t take lightly: and it transplants well to California. Being okay with being weird. Being genuine and friendly. Being thankful for what we have. These are all lessons I take from my parents, but broadly speaking, these are lessons one could also take from the people of Texas.

The recent flooding in Houston is terrifying, worrying, and heartbreaking. Even though Austin was spared most of the storm, we empathize for our Houston families. After all, we are all Texas. I hope the people of Houston demonstrate another pillar of Texas spirit: resilience.

I’m not religious, but I’m praying for everyone in the path of the storm. Hang in there.

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Calvin Ling

Written by

Stanford MS&E '16. Associate at 415.