Starting to feel like home

I’ve wrote numerous times in the past about my dad’s military background and how moving around has made me feel like an outsider, no matter which duty station we lived in.

I’ve been working at this paper for over four years and have lived in town for over two years and early on I’ve treated this place as yet another duty station. But even though I’m reminded every so often that (clears throat, puts on best Texas accent) I ain’t from around these parts, there are certain places here that I’ve now become a regular, and it definitely makes me feel like I’m home.

At my favorite bar in town I’ve already become somewhat of a regular (yeah, I know, another journalist who likes to consume alcohol, how stereotypical). I’d like to say I’m very easy to please (my drink orders tend to involve no more than two ingredients), but it has come to the point where I sit down and a bartender just plops the drink in front of me, before saying hey.

When that first happened to me I was a little worried because I thought, “man, am I becoming an alcoholic?” since my bartenders not only knew who I was but knew exactly what drink to get me. But then I started to think about it. Call it a rationalization, but I believe there’s a lot of factors that most likely don’t involve alcoholism (I think…). Other than being a pretty simple customer, I do try my best to be as friendly and understanding as possible because drunks aren’t always the nicest customers.

Plus, it’s still crazy for me to say it out loud but I’ve lived here for over two years now, so I’ve shown my face around the local watering hole a handful of times.

That feeling of being a regular has now extended to a place where I buy breakfast tacos as “I don’t have time for breakfast but I can eat this late enough so that it counts as brunch” meal.

I need to go on a quick side tangent on breakfast tacos for a minute. Before I do, I want to clarify that this isn’t an original idea by me, but rather a brilliant revelation thrown to me by one of my page designers.

If ever there is a Hall of Fame building for food, the breakfast taco deserves entry. It is the most perfect breakfast item ever.

Let me explain.

If you abide by the food pyramid for your dietary needs. It has all the food groups — starches, proteins, vegetables and fat. Heck, I’m told it even has all of the Texas food groups — beef, bread and salsa. All you’re really missing is fruit which you can solve with juice. The breakfast taco is God’s gift to mankind.

Back to my story.

I’ve started going to this popular spot for breakfast tacos, maybe every so often for the past month and already they know my order. I don’t know if it’s because I just have a recognizable face or I order the same thing every single time, but it sure feels good knowing that I got a spot I can go to and the nice lady at the register can recite my order before saying hello.

Definitely a much different feeling than being at yet another duty station.