Houston

Twice a year, I come to Houston to visit family. I used to come for a much longer time for more things, but a lot has changed. I no longer come for the debate summer camp I used to help out at and I don’t come for long stretches of time anymore.

Mostly it’s because I really like my New York apartment where I just sit quietly and read or write. And I like occasionally reading and writing at the New York Public Library. I’ve been in New York for about 13 years now, and it really is my home.

Houston is great. Lots of great food and great people I know here, as well as plenty of sunshine and heat. There are a ton of really nice used bookstores in Houston as well that have a very different stock than what’s in New York.

I grew up in Fort Worth, so returning to Texas isn’t that foreign. Coming to Houston is like hearing a remix of a familiar song. Every city in Texas is somewhat familiar like this, but with a different genre or tone or style. I haven’t been to Austin or Fort Worth in a long time.

The short visit is really nice. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it, but a shorter amount of time really makes you appreciate each moment a bit more. I didn’t lose my appreciation for the trip as you do if you stay longer than a week. You get comfortable and used to things and everything is normalized.

Jack Kerouac wrote that we should keep the date of each day we wake up “emblazened” in our minds. I think this helps a short trip feel full and long. Attentiveness to the everyday, and attention to each thing as it happens is where the value of a trip comes from. If you don’t concentrate on the days as they go, they seem to race by pretty quick. They do that anyway it seems.

The length of a trip depends on how much you concentrate on each day and realize that it is there. This is attention to the present moment, something that is fairly difficult to do at the extreme ends of life. For example, it’s tough to pay attention to the present moment when you are bored—at work, in a meeting that doesn’t really involve you, etc.—and when things are really really fun, you are so caught up in your happiness that the night is over before you realize it.

A short trip is not something I do that often. I like to spend time in a place and really get familiar with it. I go to conferences frequently, and I frequently book a day on either end of it just to make sure I have some time to explore and get to know the place. This can be expensive though. I suggest a way to make a trip a bit longer is to concentrate on your breathing. You breathe in and think to yourself, “I’m here,” then breathe out. This will place your attention on small things. I always like to look at parts of the room, building, or car I’m in and think about how close I am to these things that will soon (sooner than I think) be very far away from me.

While traveling, I often think about my quiet apartment without anyone in it. I think about the sunlight coming in the windows and I think about the stillness. Small objects for me are a way to draw my attention to the moment I’m in and where I happen to be, and make me appreciative of it.

Sitting in the airport as my flight gets more and more delayed doesn’t make it easy. I’m ready yet not ready to head home from this trip. But maybe that’s the perfect way to feel at the end.