The advent of Covid led to the advent of working from home during lockdowns, which led people to realize they aren’t tied down to hours spent in bumper to bumper to bumper traffic with strangers every day. They’ve left the cities for small towns, and like what they find.
“Employees are realizing they don’t have to live in Houston, and fight city traffic, and the riff-raff that comes along with that,” says Lavaca County Judge Mark Myers. That’s about two hours west of Houston but it might feel a world away. It moves at a different pace. And people are different. “There are people here who step up. They just step up. Everyone who can will, and will step up and help anyway they can. They don’t expect praise. They don’t expect recognition. They just do so because it’s the right thing to do,” he adds. It's a very different feeling from suburbia, where most neighbors don't even know each others names.
The exodus from cities has been going on for the better part of a year now, and it’s not abating. As long as ERCOT can keep the power on, modern connectivity opens up a while new world of possibilities as people, especially with children, consider quality of life issues. “Our schools perform better. I guess I’m biased about Lavaca County, but we do have some of the finest schools in Texas,” adds Myers. He’s in LaGrange, but says the whole area has a very welcoming, open and warm attitude, and some pretty awesome attractions, like Hallettsville annual Kolache Fest. “That’s a big draw!” laughs Myers. “Hallettsville’s Czech community is known for their kolaches.
The Kolache Fest is coming up Saturday September 25. But beware, if you go, you might be tempted to not come back.
photo: Getty Images