$1000 lunch

Back in March, I flew to Texas for an interview with a multinational energy company. They seemed to like me, but delay stretched into delay and nothing came of it. Then, a few days ago, they called unexpectedly and asked me to fly back to TX next week for another "interview." The interview consists of me meeting the recruiting coordinator at 11:30, having lunch across the street with three employees at 12:00, and taking the limo back to the airport at 2:00. Since there was no morning flight that arrived early enough, though, I'm flying in the night before.

Based on the e-receipts I've gotten, the company will pay over $1000 for this lunch meeting. I'll burn a day of vacation for the privilege. The good news is, they say I should find out very quickly afterward whether I get the job. If I do and if I accept, it will be a huge change for the family to move from Utah to eastern Texas. A Texas-sized change. I'm keeping both eyes open, but I'm looking for opportunities to advance my career. The company seems like a good place to work from what I've learned so far, but still, Texas is a whole other country.

Between work, school, and internships, I've lived at least briefly in OR, CA, UT, CO, IN, PA, and CT. The South is the gaping hole in that geographical c.v. Culturally, Texas isn't quite deep South, but it was a Confederate State.

In contrast, my wife is from Kansas City, but she was born in Memphis, where her mother was raised and many of her relatives still live. She also lived in Houston for several years as a child, so she knows better than I do what to expect. And yet, I enjoy exploring new cultures and places, and I think it's much easier to do that by "going native" than by taking a vacation. Bring on the grilled armadillo and deep fried Twinkies??