We’ve now been on the road for nearly seven months. And although we love Angaston and all the other places we’ve visited (OK, all the places we’ve visited except Madagascar and Melbourne), there’s no place like home. Which in our case means beautiful little McKinney, Texas.
One proviso: When we tell Aussies that we live in a small town, they always ask, “How many people?” Their mouths literally drop open in amazement when we say, “A hundred and forty thousand.” Why? Because what Americans think of as a small town is immense by Aussie standards.
(Damn. I just looked up the population of McKinney and found out we’ve been using an outdated number that was accurate back in 2013 when we first moved to town. In the last five years it’s grown from 140,000 to just under 190,000. Crazy growth, huh?)
That makes McKinney the sixteenth largest city in the state of Texas, but if we could transplant it down under, it would rank as the thirteenth largest city in the entire country of Australia.
Back in 2014, Money Magazine named McKinney America’s Best Place to Live. That was one year after we moved to north Texas, so we feel justified in thinking our arrival may have had something to do with the award. This theory is reinforced by the fact that our previous home, San Luis Obispo, California, was named Happiest City in America back in 2010, but hasn’t topped that list since we left town.
Coincidences? We think not.
I ran across this cool little video that shows you some of the reasons McKinney is so highly-regarded. It was created by a young, local couple named Brady and Quinn Clayton as their entry in an international online competition.
So sit back and enjoy a quick look at the town we call home when we’re not out gallivanting around the world.
And to all our McKinney friends, see you tomorrow.
Update: Two of my favorite hang-outs are featured in the video. The young woman who says, “When people come here I want them to feel like they’re coming home” is our friend Sandra, who owns Snug, my unofficial office and home away from home. The guy in the black T-shirt who says, “You’re a cool dude, man” is Robert, the owner of Patina Green, a restaurant and antique store that makes the world’s best sandwich, the incredible brisket on a biscuit. Mmmmm. See you McKinnyans soon.
Another Update (January 2, 2023): McKinney’s population is now 202,000 which would make it the 14th largest city in Australia.
Yet another update (January 2, 2024): More damn people. McKinney’s population has now skyrocketed to 214,810. This has officially become insane.
Just wait until you see all of the construction!
Safe travels home. McKinney seems like a good place to live. Maybe one day our travels will take us there.
Loved the video so much that Ken and I are moving in with you. We’ll probably be on the porch by the time you get home.
Small town folks? Are you kidding me Jim? The entire population in the county I live in is a little over 1800 and that includes children and a few illegal immigrants who have been here a while! I could add the residents of the four counties around me and not come with 190,000 people. Cows, maybe. But people? No way, which is why I live where I do.
LMOAO… Just giving you guys some lip. You have provided us with some amazing pictures and stories of your travels and all us long time IHTM fans have enjoyed it like you cannot believe. Please stay in touch when you get back to Texas, we can swap lies about the benefits of living in a big city or living way out in the sticks!