Fort Worth It

Fort Worth It
By: Lillian Bocquin

I have visited Fort Worth, TX several times in my life but many included just passing through. However, when one of my classes visited the city as a preparation trip for our journey to Puerto Rico, I discovered the Fort Worth Stockyards. The Stockyards were a vibrant part of the city I had not explored previously and we dove right in when we got there.

Having ridden the train from Norman to Fort Worth early that morning, many of us sought out food almost immediately upon arrival. A quick Google search for the best Mexican food in town led us to Los Vaqueros and they did not disappoint. I had quite literally the best vegetables of my life and the wonderful staff kept the chips and salsa flowing.

Photo by Lilly, Los Vaqueros Restaurant in Fort Worth Texas

That afternoon we were able to watch the cattle trail up the main street and speak with one of the women working the cattle. This woman told us the cattle drivers were city employees and expressed how much she loved what she did. She also revealed how difficult it was, especially the aspects people don’t see like taking care of the animals all day.

Photo by Lilly, Fort Worth Stockyard cattle drive

I hope to love my job one day as much as she does, no matter how difficult it may be. In fact, I think the most difficult jobs are the ones you truly love. Those are the jobs that are worth every bit of the blood, sweat and tears that go into it.

The Trial Run

by Mackenzie Brim

       To a city girl, the world of trains and stockyards only exists in the movies and cartoons or as a tourist attraction, but for many people the world of Texas past is their life, love and legacy. On a day trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards, I interacted with some of the many people who live their lives in what some would call a performance, but they are simply living their reality.

            

       While on the train, I went for snacks and met a woman named Heather Thompson, who wanted to be a flight attendant and, but was too short and settled for a train attendant. Her day consists of cleaning, serving guests, and occasionally declining an offer from swingers. 

      “I mean it’s public transportation, so I’ve seen a lot of wild things. People of drugs, having sex in the bathroom and even swingers, who I think had a crush on me.” 

       For the group of elementary school students who were on the train recreating the Polar Express it is a fantasy, but Heather has a wedding to help pay for and a mortgage,“It’s my life.”

         

   

       After disembarking the train and a short bus ride, I arrived at Stock Yard City, a street lined with steakhouses and gift shops that leads to the stockyards. The street also has a  Forth Work Stockyard Hotel was covered in wood paneling and old wallpaper, fitting perfectly with the theme of the tourist attraction that is Stock yard city. Sitting on the oversized maroon couches and laughing jollily was the Ivy family, the first to settle in Texas as immigrants in the 1800s. 

    

    “You see a lot of people dressed up as cowboys, but I’m a real cowboy,” said Mo Ivy, his smile lines deepening as he spoke, his cowboy had still perfectly resting on his head. 

        “You now he’s a real cowboy, because of his Belt Buckle,” said the son Tyler. Mo smiled and showed off the belt proudly. His family was ranchers and coming to cattle drives was how they obtained the livestock to provide for their business.

       

         Learning more about a culture that was only 130 miles away from where I grew up was a great experience and set the framework to learn over 2,000 miles away.

Mackenzie Brim

mackenziebrim.com

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An Unknown Experience

By: Heather Ricchi

My freshman year I went to a presentation about studying abroad in college. After sitting through the presentation I decided that I wanted to study abroad at some point in my college career, but I wasn't exactly sure when I was going to be able to fit that into my busy and rigorous schedule. I was told about an opportunity to study abroad over Christmas break and as soon as the last sentence left Professor Pederson’s lips I was hooked. I had never been to Puerto Rico before so I was very intrigued to visit and study the culture of this island. I have traveled my whole life but this trip was the first time that I would be traveling for the purpose of learning and studying a different culture.

A couple weeks before we left for Puerto Rico I got to meet the group of students that I would be taking on this cultural inversion experience with. We all met up in Fort Worth and on a extremely smaller scale got dip our feet into studying tourism like we would be doing in Puerto Rico. In Fort Worth my classmates and I clicked automatically as if we had all been friends our entire lives. Together we got to visit the Fort Worth Stockyards, study the transportation, accommodations, attractions and the food that travelers from all over the world visit Fort Worth for. This experience allowed me to no longer hesitate or be nervous about the study abroad trip that I was about to embark on. I was now excited to be able to study and learn about tourism and travel writing in Puerto Rico with these intelligent and kind individuals.

   I got to spend quality time with my new classmates while enjoying Tex-Mex cuisine in Fort Worth.

                                               The cattle run at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

              Saying Boomer Sooner all the way from Texas while studying tourism in Fort Worth. 

Links: 

http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/

http://www.ou.edu/cis/education_abroad.html

https://www.fortworth.com/the-herd/

Contact Information: 

Email: Heather.a.ricchi10@ou.edu

Phone: 214-551-2715

Twitter: @heatherricchi4
Facebook: @heatherricchi
Instagram: @heatherricchi

A New Adventure

By: Andee Gentry

Puerto Rico was not a place I had visited or knew much about until this program. I studied abroad in Arezzo, Italy last summer and loved it so I knew this would be a great opportunity to see, experience, and understand a new culture. 

Before arriving to Puerto Rico, I knew I would be in a new place with different beliefs, lifestyles, and language. Study abroad gives students the opportunity to create new friendships and explore the world with people of the same age and a passion for traveling. Although I had only known two people going into this trip, I came out of the program with new friends and memories. 

Before we left for Puerto Rico, the class took a trip to Fort Worth, Texas in order to explore a different culture and area apart from Norman, Oklahoma. In Fort Worth, I was able to observe Texas history and a town that revolves around a western lifestyle. With horses and cattle all around us, we were able to see how a town operates differently from the one we live in. By being exposed to a different culture before Puerto Rico, it gave me a greater understanding of a lifestyle and an environment different from what I was used too. 

After asking people I had not known about directions or even interviewing them, I began to gain confidence in myself. The more I talked to tourists and workers in the Stockyards, the more familiar and comfortable I was with the area and people. 

By talking to these people, I was confident that I could use what I learned in Fort Worth while in Puerto Rico.  I was ready to step into the Puerto Rican culture with open arms and an open mind. 

The daily Fort Worth cattle drive

Students in the Fort Worth Stockyards

A member of the Fort Worth Herd

Check out:

http://www.fortworthstockyards.org

http://college.usatoday.com/2015/04/15/studying-abroad-here-are-the-top-tips-from-student-travelers/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brenda-mejia/puerto-rico-6-things-you-_b_9646680.html

Contact Information:

Email: Andee.W.Gentry-1@ou.edu

Twitter: AndeeWGentry 

Facebook: Andee Gentry 

Instagram: andeegentry