Life Lessons from the Del Rio border

our Del Rio home
Last year Trent and I lived in Del Rio, TX. Trent's commute to work brought him across the border to Acuna, MX everyday. It was a very difficult time living so far away from a big city (closest international airport was 2 1/2 hrs away in San Antonio) but we definitely made the best of it knowing our time there was so temporary. Looking back I can pin 3 very important lessons learned at the boarder.

Lesson 1: Walmart is crucial in a small town. So is Amazon.



Within the first couple weeks living there we realized Walmart was pretty much the only store we'd frequent. There's no Matthew's Thriftway or Lucky's Market or Whole Foods. Only Walmart. There's no REI, Pet Co, Nike, Urban Outfitters, or Best Buy. It's Walmart! Got nothing to do on a Saturday night? WALMART. Looking for a baby shower gift? WALMART. Coming from a snobby shopper, this was a big adjustment. But looking back, I'm just glad there was a Walmart at all!

Lesson 2: The Air Force and Border Patrol people are AWESOME! 

after a mud run race with border patrol and air force members





I didn't know many (if any?) military families growing up. Likewise, I've never lived close enough to a border town to know about the need for border patrol. It's kinda like how you don't think about the people that make light bulbs or dishwashers (*wink wink* to Trent)...but a little more important to our country's security.

Del Rio is not just a border town but also home to thousands of Air Force members at the Laughlin Air Force Base. Though it took us a little while to make friends, the friends we made were some of our absolute favorites! We had so much in common with the Air Force families with how often we moved and our big sense of adventure. Also, it was crazy listening to stories border patrol members experienced on a daily basis (drug and weapon smuggling is REAL). 


Lesson 3: Small towns' got big culture and even bigger personalities.


I made this postcard myself to match the others I have for our other cities. It really summarizes our time there: rodeos, Lake Amistad, Air Force, border, historic West, Texas. When I attended a bimonthly work event welcoming new military families to Del Rio, the mayor would always spout this unofficial slogan and I. laughed. EVERY. TIME. I thought it only appropriate to slap it on the card!

We had a ton of fun living in this little city and exploring the attractions around. I'm actually still amazed how much fun we had in Del Rio! TX sure had (and maybe HAS?!?!) a lot to offer us. Here are links to my previous blog entries about the different adventures we had there. 
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1 comment:

  1. Bridgette NicoleJune 18, 2014 at 10:26 PM

    I loved this post!! I love, love, love your adventures! Who knew Del Rio could be so cool? YOU made it cool.

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