Playing Tour Guide

I'm about to hit the one-year mark of living in Amarillo, and I've had the fortune of playing tour guide to a number of friends and family members who've flown here to visit. (It's too far to drive!) This weekend was notably special because it was the first time I hosted "Girls Weekend" in the panhandle. Since graduating college in 2000, the three of us - my best friends and I - have rotated hosting the famous weekend in our various cities, and we've all moved a time or two. One flew from Nashville and the other from Washington DC, both of which I visited earlier this year. Not only was it my first time hosting in my new location, but it was both of their first times visiting Texas.

I did my best to treat the girls to an authentically Amarillo visit, complete with a meal at 575 Pizzeria, lunch at the Village Bakery, and wine at Crush. We drove around the loop and everywhere in between, and they said all of the things I said during my first visit: It's flat and windy, but the people are really nice! One of my friends even commented on how lovely the cashier was at the Walgreens, and I remarked, "Yes, everyone here, it seems, is genuinely kind."

So thank you, Amarillo, for being so great to out-of-towners, for while we may lack the mountains of Tennessee and the hustle and bustle of our Nation's Capital, we have some of the kindest, friendliest folks around. That, I believe, is something to be proud of.

--Jennie