Texas

“Y’all” is normal, everyday language in Texas, not something to feel awkward about, and it captures something real about how friendly and direct conversation tends to be here. The state’s nickname, “Lone Star,” comes from the single star on its flag, left over from the nine years Texas spent as its own independent country before joining the United States in 1845.

Football, both high school and college, is one of the most important social topics in the state, especially on Friday nights each fall. Tex-Mex food, developed over generations along the border, is a normal, everyday meal distinct from Mexican food itself.

San Antonio preserves the Alamo, site of the 1836 fight for independence from Mexico, while Austin has built a newer identity around live music.