It's taken a couple of months, but San Antonio is feeling like home already.  Everything is within convenient distance from my house- supermarket, gym, work, runs, riding, etc.  I think that the required reading of TX civil war battles for the career course I'm in right now combined with the overall satisfaction I feel for my current environment is endearing me to the Lone Star state.  For those of you who relocate regularly, I'm sure you can appreciate how slowly the acclimation process can be.  My previous strategy of getting out and playing tourist in my new locale has helped me to adjust even quicker than usual.

In deference to the age-old tactic of going to the high ground to get a feel for new terrain, I went to the top of the 750 foot Tower of the Americas.  From the Chart House Bar, we sipped wine and enjoyed the view of the Alamo City below us against the backdrop of the restaurant one floor below us rotating ever so slowly.  You can see some of the great vintage photos of the city displayed on the restaurant walls reflected in the windows in this pic.  If you go there, the tower of lump crab meat, mango and avocado appetizer is delicious!

Starting with Mission San Antonio de Valero (AKA the Alamo), the largest concentration of Catholic missions in North America is strung along the San Antonio River.  Built around the 1700s, these compounds served to further the Spanish empire as well as to "civilize" and convert American Indians.  The combination of encroaching nomadic tribes from the north and European diseases introduced by the Spanish caused the local Coahuiltecans to be relatively willing recruits for the missionaries.  In exchange for labor and conversion to Catholicism, Indians received food and refuge within the missions run by the Franciscan friars.  I'm piecemealing my tour of the missions over different visits.  Around the holidays, I explored the downtown Riverwalk area with a friend and saw the Alamo lit up at night.  This weekend, we explored Mission Concepcion and Mission San Jose during a bike ride along the San Antonio River.   

Other than the 6 hour wait at the Department of Public Safety to obtain a TX driver's license, most of my indoctrination to Texas life has been quite enjoyable.  I bought my first pair of cowboy boots and a belt complete with a bling buckle from the quintessential Western clothing store Cavender's.  In response to several requests for pictures of said boots, you'll just have to wait for another post :-)

The next highly Texan event was the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo last weekend.  A friend scored VIP tickets 6 rows up from the dirt arena so my first rodeo experience was up close and personal to the action!  Although bull-riding, calf-roping and barrel racing were entertaining, I thought that the 4 and 5 year old mutton-busters took the show.  The crowd went crazy as most of the child riders rose from the dirt with hands held up triumphantly after holding on to their sheep for as long as possible.

The rodeo experience ended with a 1.5 hour Toby Keith concert.  Whether you like country music or not, there's no denying that this singer and songwriter genuinely appreciates men and women serving the U.S.  San Antonio showed its appreciation for his decade of commitment to service members through USO tours and awareness by breaking the all-time rodeo attendance record for his concert.  His cowboy themed songs like "Beer for my horses," "Should've been a cowboy" and "I love this bar" inspired the buckle wearing crowed.  But it was "Courtesy of the red, white and blue" and "American Soldier" that brought the patriotic crowd to its feet.  He had special seating ringing the stage right on the dirt floor brought in for area Wounded Warriors and even brought them all up on stage for the last couple of songs.  It was a great concert and fun weekend.

I'm making no promises, but I'll try to be more diligent with my postings for those of you who continue to tune in!