You can literally smell the money

Let’s start with the obvious:
Dallas smells like money.

Before moving to the U.S., I had my fair share of stereotypes about Texas - think rednecks, rodeos, and pickup trucks. It wasn’t exactly at the top of my dream destinations list. But life had other plans.

Love brought me here.

My husband runs a cybersecurity company and had long dreamed of moving to the United States. The biggest clients, the strongest growth potential, and the deepest pockets are all here. And when your company is focused on the American market, it simply makes sense to be on the ground.

His company is headquartered in Dallas - so Dallas it was. I decided to come with an open mind.

Good decision.

Summer in Texas: Like a Sauna, But You’re Fully Dressed and Late for Work

The first thing you notice here? The heat.
The moment you step out of the airport, it feels like someone is blasting a hairdryer straight at your face.

The sun doesn’t just shine - it dominates. Summer temperatures frequently exceed 100°F (38°C), and the air is dry and relentless. Texas sits roughly on the same latitude as Morocco, which starts to explain things.

Locals don’t “enjoy summer” the way you might expect. They escape it. Ironically, Texans in summer live a lot like Finns in deep winter: moving from one air-conditioned space to another, because being outside for too long just isn’t realistic.

Everything is bigger… and then some

You’ve heard the phrase: Everything’s bigger in Texas.
It’s not a cliché - it’s a warning.

Cars are so large you could almost drive a European sports car underneath them. Highways have at least five lanes and twist through multi-level structures that look straight out of a sci-fi movie. Texas flags the size of small apartments wave from the tops of buildings.

And the food? Let’s just say one portion could easily feed three Europeans. Cinnamon buns come in tray-sized formats.

Then there’s the scale of Texas itself. It’s roughly twice the size of Finland and has about five times the population. If Texas were a country, its economy would rank among the largest in the world - competing with nations like Canada and Russia.

This isn’t just a state - it’s its own universe.

Southern charm is real - and surprisingly refreshing

They say Texas has a certain Southern charm - and you feel it almost immediately. People here are genuinely warm, open, and kind in a way that catches you off guard at first. It’s the small things: someone smiling and wishing you a good day on a morning run, a stranger striking up a conversation just because your eyes happened to meet, or someone acknowledging you simply because you share the same space for a moment.

At first, it feels unusual - especially coming from Finland, where we tend to keep more to ourselves. But over time, it starts to feel… comforting. There’s a sense that you’re seen, even in the smallest interactions. And it makes you wonder - would we feel a little less alone back home if we allowed more of this openness into our everyday lives?

Is it the sunshine? The culture? The fact that over half the population has Latino roots?

Whatever it is, I love it.

Dallas is not “Texas cowboy” - it’s serious business

Dallas challenges your expectations.

This used to be desert land. Green parks are valuable, trees are scarce, and the skyline is dominated by glass towers and corporate headquarters. It feels more like a financial engine than a Wild West movie set.

Texas has 54 Fortune 500 headquarters - almost as many as California - and 21 of them are in Dallas alone. This is where careers are built, companies are scaled, and reputations are made. While Austin leans liberal and creative with a slightly European feel and Houston runs on oil, healthcare, and heavy industry, Dallas stands out as polished, ambitious, and unapologetically focused on business.

There’s even a new Texas stock exchange opening here - which, conveniently, aligns perfectly with where I’m heading next. I’ve decided to start my job search in finance, and it’s already clear that this is not a market you navigate passively. You have to show up, build real connections, understand market dynamics, and step into the pace of the city.

And the surprising part? I enjoy that. I like the challenge. There’s something energizing about being in an environment where ambition is the baseline and things move fast.

So somewhere along the way, after all my initial doubts, something has shifted.

It started to feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Brisket and business - here I come.

© Henna Harala - Reunion Tower at sunset, photographed from the Monarch Restaurant.