So here's mine:
Texas is enormous and odd and has no state tax and yet you can't drive 20 miles without seeing another massive multi-billion dollar highway construction project that seems about 100 feet taller than it needs to be.
Dallas is not Austin is not Houston.
Austin in the context of Texas pretty much makes no sense. Might as well be its own state within a state. One that needs really, really strict DUI laws -- not dopey politicians picking fights with Uber. Day drunk, no tech to be seen, and basically a cultural vacuum given what it should be given its massive population and history.
Dallas makes little sense either. Amazing travel hub. $59 flights to/from anywhere. Want a $19 rental car? They got 'em. And they'll email you the night before to see if you want to upgrade to a minivan for $23. Why aren't other hub cities like this? Dunno. I must underestimate the scale. Easy to do there.
But Texas is on the path to becoming unmanageable just as California did before it. Whether this comes from growth, or growth compounded by cultural "diversity" tearing its internals apart remains to be seen. I'm not optimistic. Too big, too broken, and too growing. People are opinionated and divisive. And a little bit nasty. And armed. When you hear about "doing what's right for America" and "compromise" -- Texas is the exact place that would benefit the most from it. Yet Texans don't seem interested in starting the conversation.
But this article barely scratches the surface of what I saw. Texas is a surprising, complex beast. And I only spent about four days there.
Also, consider investing all your retirement savings in Torchy's Tacos.