Since 2015, a person I care a lot about has lived in Texas which, for me, has meant frequent trips to the massive state. I officially moved here in late 2020 after accepting a job with a bird conservation organization and joined my long-time long-distance partner. Since then, we've done quite a bit of traveling across this state, taking in the flooded Cypress trees of Big Thicket and the Neches River, the ever-changing coastal marshes, and the mountains, desert, and river canyons of Big Bend National Park. Every trip I've been blown away by the variety of landscapes that can be found across Texas - I'm not sure it's a state known for its outdoor opportunities, but maybe it's better that way as we often have these places mostly to ourselves. In particular, I've grown to love the upper Texas coast where I have also developed a new appreciation for birds (and how difficult they are to photograph!). I'm looking forward to more adventures exploring this wild state and learning about the critters that call it home.