One of the best parts about living away from home has been the visitors we’ve received since moving to Houston nearly a year ago. The end result is frequent trips to El Tiempo because “New Orleans doesn’t have good Mexican food” (Truth, I think people are a bit dramatic, but El Tiempo is exceptionally delicious), tagging along for shopping trips (this gets old), and getting to experience all of the diverse things Houston has to offer (Visionary Art and Burping the Bayou!).

This summer our good friend Rachel is doing Montessori training in Houston and naturally we have adopted her as our pseudo-child. We’re not ready for kids, so Rachel is the perfect alternative at this stage in our life. We don’t have full custody, but we get to see her one or two nights a week. Last week we perused the galleries of the Museum of Fine Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art before shoveling frozen yogurt in our mouths as a reward for looking at art all night. This week, we took Rachel to one of Houston’s best kept secrets: James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace at Rice University. Even though Skyspace opened last year, we just discovered it at the beginning of the month, but it has quickly become one of our favorite spots to unwind after a long day.

Skyspace is incredibly thought-provoking, relaxing, tranquil, and easily one of the most peaceful places amidst the chaos that is Houston. My friends and family always ask me “What is it?” and I believe it is one of the things that one needs to experience firsthand. Pictures don’t do it justice. While it looks like a cross between a Native American burial ground and a UFO, it is actually an art/light installation that features a daily sunrise and sunset 40 minute light show. I’ve read some reviews on Yelp in which the people didn’t seem to “get” it, but it also appears they didn’t see the light show. Ladies and gents, you aren’t seeing Twilight Epiphany if you don’t see the show. Bottom line.

So, last night we grabbed a soy cappuccino and an iced vanilla latte at Starbucks, brought a blanket, and laid in the field next to Skyspace for almost an hour. It was the perfect way to spend a Thursday night with a good friend.