We just got back from a 5-day trip to Houston, Texas. I had two responsibilities when I was there: speaking at the Archdiocesan Youth Conference in downtown Houston and then filming in The Woodlands out in the ‘burbs.

Highlights from the trip:

  1. The Hotel. Our view of the Houston Skyline from the Hilton was gorgeous. Other perks were the top floor pool and complimentary car service. Across the street was a beautiful city park called Discovery Green where Norah could be entertained by the splash pads and the mega-playground. Plus we ate at the park’s two Dwell-like restaurants: The Grove and The Lake House.
  2. Downtown Living. It was fun to explore the city to see what it would be like to live there. We did the whole deal: museums, cafes, shops, and parks. You can see from the photos below that it’s a beautiful downtown that feels older than most people would have guessed. Like many Western cities, unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of residents downtown. Lots of buildings, not many people.
  3. Norah speaks. Norah’s vocabulary and enunciation seems to have improved in the past couple of weeks. She now calls me Dah-Deee! instead of Dah-Dah. She now refers to herself as Nah-Nah whenever she needs something. Every time the train passed by us in downtown Houston, Norah would tap her chest with her little hand and say Nah-Nah to let us know that she really wanted to ride the train. It’s adorable. Another cute one: hmmm has become shyesh (yes). These little words just fill me with joy like you can’t even imagine.
  4. Lovely Woodlands. Seriously, if you have to plan a suburb, do it like The Woodlands. All big retail stores and their parking lots are hidden from the main streets with a 100-foot deep band of forest. Signs are low to the ground and not tacky. Plus they have a newly built downtown that should have been featured in my previous blog series called Suburban Shopping that Doesn’t Suck. (Read it: Part 1, 2, and 3.) I could go on about the details, but the end result is a suburb that doesn’t feel like a generic suburb. It feels like a charming forest.

Right now I am at the courthouse in downtown Phoenix because I’ve been summoned for jury duty. I’ve postponed this whole deal three times now because of big responsibilities with school, family, and work. But now it’s my time to come and do my duty. So far, I’ve just checked in and nobody has spoken to me since. I’m glad I brought my laptop so I can distract myself from the celebrity gossip that’s booming out of the television that’s strapped to the wall.

Here are photos from the trip: