New Waverly, Tx. Bonus Post

As we wrapped up the afternoon, our thoughts turned to food—what else could be on my mind? Being in Texas, I naturally started craving smoked meat. I remembered seeing a food truck to my right as I rolled into town several hours earlier. We opened Google Maps and searched for restaurants. There was a Mexican restaurant, but since those are common back home and almost anywhere else along the way, we decided to explore other options. A BBQ place caught our eye, and I also checked out the BBQ food truck (Double J's BBQ and Burgers) I had spotted earlier. It boasted 76 reviews and a perfect 5.0 rating, so we figured we couldn't go wrong.

We walked half a block to the food truck and ordered a BBQ sandwich, a burger, sweet potato fries, and zucchini fries. About 20 feet away from us stood a smoker, doing what it does best—smoking. We waited for our food, and when it was served, we didn’t waste any time digging in. The food was incredible.

As we were finishing up, Jason, the owner (who runs the business with his wife), sat down on a lawn chair between us and the smoker. I suspected he was guarding its precious contents. We struck up a conversation, and before long, we found ourselves deep in discussion about running a small business. We connected on a lot of things, and soon his wife, Jackie, joined us. It was such an easy and natural connection, and although we knew they had work to do, I really wanted to hear their story.

I told them about the podcast I’ve been doing, where I create a space for people to share their personal stories. I asked if they’d be open to participating. Jackie quickly replied, “Of course he would; he loves to talk.” We all laughed because it was clear Jason was a natural conversationalist. We agreed to sit down for a recorded conversation at 8:00 p.m., after they closed for the day.

The conversation turned out to be amazing. Like everyone, they had a story to tell. They had faced a lot of challenges, but I deeply admired the genuine love they have for each other, their kids, and people in general. They were open and honest, and in our off-the-record chats, I learned they had many more stories—some too personal to share publicly. The podcast should drop within the next week or so, and I’ll let you know when it’s live. As I’ve said many times, I enjoy the adventure of long-distance cycling, but what I truly love is meeting incredible people in the most unexpected ways.

Later, as we were preparing to head to our PLUM for the night, Jason casually mentioned how everyone in Texas “carries.” I’m not sure how the topic came up, but he explained it as just a part of their way of life. In contrast, I told him, “I’m a pacifist. Though I struggle with how that plays out in everyday life, it’s the way I try to live.” I suspect my statement might have surprised him, but we expressed our mutual appreciation for each other. I believe that if we had more time, we could’ve had a rich, honest discussion about how our lives are shaped by such different philosophies.
And that’s the key: if we want to tackle tough topics, listening to each other’s stories is a good place to start.

This morning, we met at their food truck for breakfast. They open at 7:00 a.m. and serve a phenomenal breakfast sandwich. They refused to let us pay for our meal, and as I pushed off, it felt like saying goodbye to longtime friends.Okumaya devam et