Sterling City, Texas

Today, we made the short drive from Lubbock to Sterling City, and I was reminded of how long it has been since we have been down here.

My hometown is Lubbock, Texas. Most people haven’t heard of it, and some people think they’ve heard of it, but have no idea where it is. When we tell them that Lubbock is in the base of the Panhandle, that gives them some idea where it is. When we tell item it is West Texas, some people think we are referring to El Paso. When I say that it is in the middle of no-where, sometimes it feels like it is in the middle of no-where. The reality is, Lubbock has a good airport. It has a big university, and the medical system supports all of West Texas and even Eastern New Mexico.

Texas Tech was founded in 1923, and in 2020, it had over 40,000 students. Because Tech is in Lubbock, Lubbock has a vibrant restaurant and bar scene. It even draws in some good music every now and again. Additionally, when a town has over 40,000 students, cute boutiques and shops pop up all over town.

Lubbock is 346 miles from Dallas,  573 from Houston, and  580 miles from Houston.  There is not another city close by. It sits by itself hours away from another big city.

Every time I make it to Lubbock, I am thrilled to be there, and I get even more excited to go to Sterling City, Texas. Now, Sterling really IS in the middle of no-where. It is a little over 2 hours south of Lubbock, and there is not much in Sterling with the exception of a post office and a convenient store. When we come here, we don’t typically see another human being, and it is one of our favorite places on earth. The land is vast. The sunsets are incredible, and being in Sterling is always a special time.

Unfortunately, since we have lived in Okinawa, we haven’t been able to get to Sterling, but this year, we finally got time, and being here has reminded me why I love the place so much. As much as I have enjoyed living on an island, I think island life had shown me how much I love the land. Water is beautiful, but there is something so comforting with being surrounded by land, and in Sterling, there is land for as far as the eye can see.

I must also say that some of my fondest memories in Texas are in Sterling City. Every time we make it to Sterling, we are happy to be here. Things are slow. Conversations are deep. Fun is absolute. There is something very special about getting away to a quiet, far-away place to spend quality time with some of your favorite people.