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Rain + Texas drivers = absolute chaos. The first rain after a dry spell might as well be an ice storm based on how people react. Either 25mph in the left lane or 80mph tailgating. No in between.

Parking strategy: find shade, even if it means walking farther. A shaded parking spot saves you 20 degrees of interior temp compared to full sun.

Electrolytes, not just water. Liquid IV, Pedialyte, even pickle juice. When you sweat this much, plain water isn't enough. You're losing salt faster than you can replace it.

If you're lucky enough to have a Gold's Gym nearby, that's still the gold standard for serious lifting. Some locations are better than others though.

Check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for home gym equipment. I built my garage gym for $800 total — rack, barbell, 300lbs of plates, and a bench. Pays for itself in 14 months vs a gym membership.

Invest in a good insulated water bottle. A Yeti or Stanley with ice stays cold for 8+ hours in your car. Warm water in the Texas heat is torture.

YMCA is slept on. Some of them have surprisingly good weight rooms, plus pool, basketball courts, and sauna. $45/month for an adult membership at most locations.

Whoever designed highway interchanges in Texas clearly wanted to see if humans could navigate 5 lanes merging simultaneously at 70mph. The answer is no.

The merge thing is the real danger. Who taught people to merge at 40mph onto a 75mph highway? That's how accidents happen.

Year 8 here. You don't stop hating it. You just hate it quietly and then enjoy October through April knowing you earned it.

I will say this: Texas drivers are aggressive but they commit. It's the hesitant drivers from other states merging at 40mph who cause the real accidents.

Crunch Fitness is a solid middle ground. More equipment than PF, actual free weight area, $25-30/month at most locations.

Be the one who initiates. "We should hang out sometime" means nothing. "Want to grab tacos Saturday at 1pm?" is a plan. Most people want friends but nobody wants to be the one to plan things.

Red light running is the Texas state pastime. The light turns red and three more cars go through. I wait a full two seconds after my light turns green now.

Rec sports league. Volleyball, kickball, softball. You see the same people every week, you grab beers after games, friendships happen naturally. That's how I built my entire friend group here.

Local independent gyms are where it's at. Not the chain ones. Find the gym owned by one person that's been open 15 years with equipment that's older than you. Those gyms have the best equipment and the best culture.

Hot take: Texas drivers are aggressive but predictable. They're going fast and they expect you to keep up. Northeast drivers are passive-aggressive which is somehow worse.

Brazilian jiu jitsu gym. I know it sounds random but hear me out — you train with the same people 3-4 times a week, you suffer together, and the community is insanely tight. Changed my social life.

Tinted windows, remote start, and a good sunshade for the windshield. That's the holy trinity of surviving Texas car heat.

It takes like a year. I know that's not what you want to hear but real friendships take time. Keep showing up to the same places consistently. The people who keep showing up too become your people.

The key is never letting your house get hot in the first place. Blackout curtains, good insulation, and never open the doors more than necessary. Treat it like winter in reverse.

Enforcement is basically nonexistent unless you're going 95+ or visibly drunk. I drive the same highway every day and haven't seen a speed trap in months.

Nobody in this state understands the zipper merge. Two lanes go to one and everyone treats it like a personal insult.

Zocdoc app. Filter by insurance and availability. I found a PCP with a next-day appointment that I couldn't find through any other method.

Chorizo and egg with a little bit of potato mixed in. Squeeze of lime. That's the one.