Texas has its own way of life, from our food to our highways, and it’s something that newcomers to the state have to adapt to when they move here.
Recently converted Texan Sam Speiller, @samanthaspeiller on Instagram, makes a lot of videos about what life in the Lone Star State has been like since moving from California, covering topics like our uniquely horrifying bugs and the truth in the “everything’s bigger in Texas” motto. In a recent video, Speiller named more lessons she’s learned after becoming a Texan, and one commenter said, “As a Texan, these are 100% accurate.”
First off, Speiller said “you can start sweating when you’re still wet from the shower,” which checks out, seeing as San Antonio was one of the hottest places on Earth for one particularly nasty week in May 2025. On the topic of temperature, she also mentioned that swimming pools in Texas can be “like swimming in soup” as “the sun can heat up a pool just fine.”
Truly, the cardinal rule of living in Texas is staying hydrated.
Additionally, “Texans on the internet are way meaner than Texans are in real life,” she said. At the same time, “one can use manners to rip another person to shreds.” One commenter agreed, noting that “it’s truly an art,” and another said, “it ain’t just Texas. ALL of the South knows how to do it!” So, here’s a tip for out-of-state people — “bless your heart” isn’t usually a phrase you want to hear.
However, not everyone was on board. One commenter said they’d “never struck up a random conversation at a gas station until I moved to Texas. Texans may not drive friendly like the signs say but Texans are definitely friendly.” You know what? Two things can be true at once.
And lastly, we can’t talk about Texas without talking about the highway. “The left lane is just for passing, but also the right lane will be for passing too if you go too slow,” according to Spieller. The law says the left lane on multi-lane roads is for passing only, not for cruising in the fast lane, and you’ll often see signs that post this rule. Liggett Law Group advises drivers to move back to the right as soon as they pass another driver and keep an eye out for those signs, which pop up “on highways with two or more lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 75 mph or higher.” I-35, we’re looking at you.
Texans weighed in. “If someone can pass you on the right, you’re driving wrong,” one commenter said. Others mentioned that trucks and SUVs often exit the highway wherever they want, as long as it’s not too muddy to drive through the grassy median onto the access road — very common, also very illegal. Y’all, don’t do this.