There is so much to capture today, and I feel our travel here is small fry in comparison to what we’ve experienced in the last 4 hours in Paris Texas, but there has been a lot of fun on our journey to share.

We woke up nice and early. I’m not sure how you travel but we need to be at airports around 3 hours before any international flight. It’s the smoothest run you could ask for from the Central Coast, NSW to Sydney. A quick park at Sydney Airport and everyone we interact with is both delicious and helpful.

We hit the lounge for an obligatory bubbles and enjoy people watching lounge behaviour at Sydney Airport. There is clearly a combination of “we’ve been here before” to “we really don’t fit in here, but let’s try”. We cross paths with people traveling all over the world. Some leaving, some heading home.

It seems to go so fast when it’s time to board and Matthew is using his Aussie passport for the first time. Another wonderful first for us as he became an Australian citizen in January this year.

Matthew unfortunately sat next to “No-spacial-awareness-Joan” (named changed to protect the innocent). But other than that it was an uneventful flight. Kids and travellers around us that made the flight pretty smooth for the 15 hours to Dallas. We did meet Zach who was an Aussie citizen but a Texan born and bred who was a software sales rep using a trip to Poland as the perfect opportunity to visit family as stopovers in Dubai are temporarily not cool. He gave us some cool tips for the rest of our trip, and tried to pursuade us that Austin is a ‘must stop’. He was so enthusiastic we didn’t have the heart to tell him it’s not really in the itinerary.

We get a little bit of sleep – me more than Matthew – and count down the hours will we land in Dallas.

I’d read recently it was worthwhile to download an app for digital customs (CDP MPC for those travelling to the USA), which paid dividends in time savings, and literately ended up being the only time we saved. The wait for baggage was the longest out of all of the checkpoints, and even stalked a woman who had the same luggage set and Qantas tags on her bags too. Rethink of what could make my perfectly purple luggage more identifiable.

The line for the rental car was long, but eventually after a failed credit card swipe and a another “express line” (not actually an express line – named to give you the kind of hope that lures you into a false sense of security) we are presented with a Camry that clearly didn’t fit the promise it would fit 5 suitcases. We’ve travelled with 3 and the very lovely Noah swiftly picked that up and switched us out with a Chevy Blazer SUV and we are finally on our way.

We make our way through a myriad of overpasses and massive multilane highways, as we watch the scenery change from concrete to green pastures and agricultural central. Swapping buildings and McDonalds for machinery and barns. But quintessential patriotic.

It’s a couple of hours before we hit our first destination, and a bit of racoon and armadillo road kill later. We do love a Walmart for all it’s joy and hit it pretty hard to stock up on all the essentials like snacks, wine and bananas…..oh my!

This is a ‘Superstore’ and boy does it live up to it’s reputation. Matthew and I LOVE a Walmart, and we navigate through the aisles to pick up all we need to tie us over for the next couple of days We laugh at the cost of some Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, significantly cheaper than buying in Australia. Now we know the purchasing power of Walmart is HUGE but the fact that New Zealand is on our doorstep and we pay $5-7 dollars more per bottle is simply Un-Australian but is ridiculously amazing when traveling here.

The checkout lady is deeply confused by us and our accents, but doesn’t quite work up the courage to ask us questions. She goes about her job of checking us through our purchases and sends us on our way without batting an eyelid.

Paris, oh Paris, you did NOT disapooint. We finally arrive at our AirBNB. The pictures could not be any more accurate.

We walk into an amazing space and feel instantly at home. A feeling that will be carried on into our evening. After being on the go for about 30 hours, we shower and dress ready to see what this town has to offer.

It literally took about 15 steps from our AirBNB before we interacted with some locals who were curious if we lived where we had come out of. We met Heather and some of her friends who were bemused about why an Aussie and a Pom were in Paris. Not your usual tourist visitors. We explain the way we like to travel which prompted a plethora of local recommendations for where we should eat and drink for the night. Followed by a “hope we see you out later”.

We make our way through the gorgeous town sqaure lit up with fairy lights on our our way to 106 – a local eats that’s full of people of all walks of life. We’re served by Eric who asks us if we want some water with our drinks order. I’d forgotten how even water requests are in ‘excess’ as is the usual USA way.

Matthew goes for the signature deep fried catfish, and I order some sweet hot chicken sliders. Every exchange is met with a ‘yes ma’am’ in true southern style. It takes a couple of passes by our table for Eric to tell us that he loves accents. We politely remind him that he is the one with the accent and we also get to tell him about the beginning of the trip we are embarking on.

The place has already felt like home and we settle in to the Southern way of life. There’s a table not far from us with a few young men who are dressed the same in baseball uniforms. I am so curious that I pop over to their their table to ask them about it, Is it a local game, is there an big game on. I soon work out they’ve played today, and met with more ‘yes ma’am’s’. These young men could not have been older that 20 years old, and realised we have crossed over to another world. In the best possible way.

Last stop for the night is a bar recommended by out new friend Heather, and arrive at The Vintage Hangout. A place we didn’t realise had Musical Bingo going on. But nonetheless, sideled up to the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. Quickly met with intrigue and questions about Australia. We meet a whole of bunch of peopole – specifically, “Joe”, named so as Matthew and I have different recollecions of what his name is.

A truck driver whose dream is to drive road trains in Australia. He introduces us to to his wife, working as a waitress, his son (and girlfriend working behind the bar). Quite the family affair.

Was great to chat and hear about all the connections as we excuse ourselves to head home. Needless to say were exhausted, but one last connection with some locals at a ‘Pinot and Picasso’ style stop who’d noticed us chatting to Heather earlier at the beginning of our first night in Texas.

We were gifted some fun artworks by another Friday night friend, that will no don’t be displayed in my office back home.

Thank you Paris – for your candor, your hospitality and advice – tomorrow is going to be fun!!