Do you ever find yourself in a place that just doesn’t float your boat? I travel frequently for work and was recently commuting to Houston, Texas. Don’t get me wrong, I lived there for roughly 13 years and have many wonderful friends and family there. I just don’t have a strong appreciation for Houston the city – it’s big, hot, humid, traffic is insane and clearly there are no mountains close by.
Now that I have just slammed this vast city, I have to say, last Monday night I had an amazing experience in Houston. I ended my long work/travel day and shuffled my way from the office to the Hilton hotel located near the convention center in downtown. My work buddy Lisa and I mustered up some strength and ran at Memorial Park (an excellent 3 mile loop should you make it to town). Afterwards we decided to check out a great restaurant called The Grove (across the street from the Hilton) in search of some good grub and a juicy glass of wine. We found both of those things, AND came across one of the coolest art exhibits I have seen in a long time.
The Grove sits in the middle of Discovery Green Park which was built to provide a little oasis for those visiting downtown Houston. There is a pathway lined with century-old live oaks that cuts through the park. Given winter never really arrives in Houston, all of the trees are still a deep, velvety green. Now for the good stuff: Hanging like ornaments in the trees, were incredible balloons of all sizes adorned with images of people from all walks of life. It was a stunning and powerful exhibit and one I could not get enough of – I passed through this park every day that week I was in Houston (too bad all I had with me was my iphone camera).
The exhibit is called “Through the Eyes of a Child” created with images by the talented artist David Graeve and those taken by children who participate in a program called Change Happens. Change Happens is a 3rd Ward based non-profit who provides various programs for adults and at-risk kids in the Gulf Coast region of Houston – probably one of the poorest in the state. Their new facility in the 3rd Ward stands where crack houses and condemned properties once reigned supreme.
Even though Houston doesn’t float my boat per se, this creative display will stick in my mind for years to come and for that I am grateful. Just goes to show, there are nuggets of beauty no matter where you are in the world and in unexpected places!
I LOVE the first shot, great job! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Emma! It was super cool. Wish I had a different camera with me!
Great end to your now “past” life 🙂 and onto the LifeBus!
Guess your HP wanted to gift you a nice nugget in Houston as you embark around many new worlds and globes or global experiences that await you 🙂
Thanks Kev! I couldn’t agree more! Looking forward to what awaits around the corner 😉
This is amazing!
It was definitely cool!
I’m sure!
btw – love what you are doing with your blog – its awesome! Congrats on your 1000 likes! love it!
Thank you so much, Pam! That’s very sweet of you.
Great first image, Pam. Glad you found something to love about Houston. 🙂
You know – me too…I wonder if these little nuggets have always been there – perhaps I was never in the right frame of mind to appreciate them.
Love this!!!
not sure the iPhone did it justice, but you would have loved it Lex!
you and the iPhone did it perfect justice 🙂
Really good – I like that!
Thank you – it was definitely a new type of Houston experience!
so true, there’s always beauty everywhere… we just have to keep our eyes open…thanks for sharing 🙂
Sometimes I get too caught up in work to notice :-/. Thanks for reading!
What a great installation – thanks for visiting.
Finding the unexpected gem in the midst of a metropolis is serendipitous. Love the first shot, but the second one of the exhibit is uplifting. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much! I could not agree more! Happy New Year from the Life Bus!!
Loved this post — a great reminder to always be open to the hidden gems of even the seemingly lackluster destinations!
Agreed – make the most of a seemingly dismal situation! Thanks for stopping by the bus Kat! You are welcome any time!!