About

I didn’t want to mess with Texas. I wanted nothing to do with Texas.

But, in the fall of 2013 I was dragged here, kicking and screaming, from my beloved Scottsdale, Arizona. I left behind a beautiful home with a gorgeous view,  the nature of the desert and the majestic saguaros, my best girlfriend, a circle of tennis friends, and a volunteer job I adored as a wildlife sanctuary tour guide.

My name is Andrea Thompson and my husband Steve and I agreed we’d be fools to turn down the lucrative promotion his company offered him, but that didn’t make it any easier.

The culture shock was traumatizing and completely disorienting; everything was so foreign and different. So, being someone who really shouldn’t be here with fresh eyes observing what it is to be a Texan, I began to write. So, I guess now you could say I’m messing with Texas.

37 thoughts on “About”

  1. erikaselegance

    I love this, it took me back to my move from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Los Angeles, California, I too went kickin’ and screamin’ and it is always great to get a fresh set of eyes on a new state. Your about section made me feel like someone else understood what I had gone through moving and it made me want to see more of Texas. Thanks!

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  8. Pingback: One Lovely Blog Award! | Lifestyles with Lia

  11. andreathompson2

    Thanks for these nominations however I don’t have time to research so many blogs to the extent that I can feel good about nominating them. I appreciate that you like my blog. Don’t know what Leibster is…..

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  13. Addai Skyman

    Hello. I’m a Dallas native. And I just have to say, wow. This is great! I suppose I’m a hometown ex-pat. I live in Dallas right now for convenience, but the moment I get back on my feet again I’m off to St. Louis, Missouri. What I’ve read so far is hilarious. You may already know, but many Dallasites often find the city to be infallible. Anything that subverts that idea, I thoroughly enjoy. I’ll be following for a while.

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    • andreathompson2

      Hi Addai! Glad you think my blog is funny! You are sooooo right that many Dallasites find the city infallible. It’s hard to fathom why. There is nothing pretty here which is why I think they build gargantuan houses….to try to make something pretty! Good luck getting back to St. Louis!!

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  19. Margaret Bradford

    I love that you get to visit the gorillas. Subira was “my boy” back in Toronto. I adopted him when he was a couple of years old and watched him grow until he was shipped to Granby. He is very smart, gentle and was kind to his brothers and sisters. I am so glad he has a troop to belong to. I just found your blog by googling Dallas gorillas. I look forward to any snippets of news you wish to share. Oh, and please say hello to Subira for me. Thanks, Margaret

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    • andreathompson2

      Oh Margaret! I am so glad you reached out to me! Subira is a beautiful and as you said, gentle gorilla!
      We got him a little over a year ago and after his quarantine put him in with 3 females one of which we have SSP’s permission to mate. He did great for the first month or two and then he suddenly became very ill. He was soooo sick and no vets or human doctors could figure out what was wrong with him. He was in the hospital for 3 months and almost died 3 times. One of our more experienced ape keepers said she’d never seen a gorilla that sick survive! Suddenly one day, he took a mysterious turn for the better and slowly began to get better. He had lost almost 80 pounds and his back feet had atrophied from not using them for so long. He had become used to the temp controlled hospital and did not want to come out of his bedroom and out into the habitat. But over time he is doing better and better. I can tell by the speaker talks when they demonstrate training that he loves and trusts his keepers. He needs to gain 20 more pounds and then we can take Megan off birth control! Hopefully Subira will be a Daddy soon! What city are you in??

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  20. Peggy S Graham

    I know zoos have gotten much better over the years, but it still breaks my heart to see these magnificent animals in cages. Unfortunately it’s the only place that is truly safe for them. WWF is my favorite charity and they have done amazing things, but they can only do so much. Nothing I like better than to travel somewhere and see a WWF sign at the preserve, and I know my money is truly working.

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    • andreathompson2

      Hi Peggy. At least in this country at Accredited zoos, the animals are not in cages anymore. They are in habitats. Our chimps have over an acre that mimic the landscape and plant materials from Africa, as do our gorillas. Love, love, love WWF! So glad you do, too. A

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      • Peggy Graham

        I realize that they are not actually cages, but they are still enclosed. I do know the wonderful work that the zoos do with mating these animals that are having such difficulty in the wild mostly because of mankind. And the docents are wonderful so I totally respect and envy what you do, I was just at the San Diego Zoo with Kris. Zoos also create new generations of animal lovers. My grandniece is 18 months old and has probably already been to 5 different zoos. I’m glad you’re doing well. Peggy

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