It was tough, moving here from Texas. I made a clean break from my Texan roots. I do not walk around wearing spurs, boots, or large cowboy hats because I felt I should blend in with the local populace. I hung up my buttless chaps because I did not think people here would understand. I also decided that I would have to part with my horse. So, I shot Mr. Sparkle and

sold him to the glue factory.

When I moved to Philadelphia, I purchased some city clothes. I learned to drive a car and use the subway correctly. It was difficult. I was a nervous wreck for the first few months. I did not completely fall apart, though, because there were a few small perks that made this new place feel more like home. When I first began to frequent Temple campus, I quickly discovered that the SAC has excellent, moderately priced cuisine. Furthermore, Temple had a Taco Bell franchise within the SAC. I was overjoyed. One of the most abundantly available cuisines in Texas is Mexican food. It is everywhere, and nothing encapsulates the foods and culture of the Mexican peoples more than the sumptuous offerings of the Taco Bell. Every time I ordered from the SAC Taco Bell, it was like being back in Texas.

When I returned from home after the most recent winter holidays, I began feeling homesick almost immediately. It seemed to me that the best way of calm myself was a trip to the campus Taco Bell. I went up to the food court, but the space for the Taco Bell was dark, and there was plastic construction barrier hanging in front of the kiosk. On the wall was a sign informing patrons that Einstein Bros. Bagels will be coming soon. Temple had run Taco Bell out of town. I was crushed. Taco Bell really meant something to me, almost as much as my horse Mr. Sparkle. Now, like the horse, Taco Bell is gone. That restaurant was filling a void in my heart. Now I will have to find something else to fill that void.

I think I will start wearing my buttless chaps again. Temple cannot take those from me.