Is it just me, or does every story in Lubbock seem to begin the same way? It’s always, “So, I was just trying to…” Trying to get home. Trying to grab dinner. Trying to meet someone for coffee. Whatever it might be.

And, somehow, nothing ever happens the way it was supposed to.

In Lubbock, “just trying to” is a lie we tell ourselves before the universe intervenes in the worst possible way to eff up the vibes. A five-minute trip turns into a 2-hour saga involving a conversation with someone you vaguely know, a flat tire, and maybe even a police report. You never know around here.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

There’s also the optimism. You’re just trying to pick up food, but the place is out of your favorite item, and you’re trapped in a line that wraps around the building with no way to squeeze out. It’s always something.

Read More: What Makes Lubbock Rank 50th In Hardest Working Cities?

What about those Lubbock side quests? You go out for one thing, maybe a quick bank run, and end up at Walmart buying leggings for your 14-year-old sister who texted you from school that someone dumped Gatorade on her at lunch. Now, you’re thinking about fighting a teenager and Googling how much prison time you could get.

Did the check get cashed? Nope. Did you make your sister happy? Maybe?

Are teenagers ever really happy?

Photo by Umit Y Buz on Unsplash

Every single story seems to end with something you didn’t set out for, and you, exhausted and slightly irritated. Rinse, repeat.

In Lubbock, it feels like we never quite get done what we were just trying to do, without a meltdown, a roadblock, or some ridiculous nonsense that takes us off track and down the backroads in a neighborhood we aren’t familiar with.

I mean, I guess, at least we are all “just trying” together. That’s got to be good for something. Sheesh.

Find more Lubbock odds and ends in the galleries below, starting with my favorite ways to de-stress. You might could use them right about now.

Chrissy’s 6 Favorite Ways To De-stress and Decompress

Chill, bro. You got this.

Gallery Credit: Chrissy

4 Awesome Weekend Getaways Not Far From Lubbock

Here’s a list of cool places you can spend the weekend that aren’t too far from home.

Gallery Credit: Chrissy