My Hood "The Oldest Polish Settlement"

My hood is located sixty miles southeast of San Antonio
six miles north of Karnes City just one mile off of State
Highway 123 on to Farm Market Road 81. My house is
located one mile from the community of Panna Maria on
County Road 247. Looking south, you will see our place
that runs next to the San Antonio River.


There are only about four families that live in my neighborhood.
My neighbors are upper class to middle class families,they are
hard working people that are up by 5:30am and work till dark.
Two families are retired from work, but they still enjoy working
around their homes. I have one lady that is a grandmother
and is up early in the morning getting ready to start her day
by going to church. Myself and one other couple that have
two children are the ones that go to work and school during
the day and are at home in evening. The ethnic group in
Panna Maria is 95% Polish and 5% other.


In my hood the Catholic Church is what the tourists come
from all over the world to see. The church has been here
for about 150 years. It is the second church built from
the time that the polish settlers arrived from Poland.
In my town we also have the Bed and Breakfast that once
was where the nuns of Panna Maria lived. It is located behind
the church. Next to the Bed and Breakfast is the Panna Maria museum that was the first Polish private school built, in the United States. Across from the church is the visitors center that
is run by the retired little Polish ladies of Panna Maria.
You can go by when it is open and look around and
purchase books about the Polish Americans.


My hood is a peaceful place to live. It is located away
from the big city of San Antonio and we have light traffic.
I don't have to worry about my two year old daughter
running out into a busy highway or street. The downside
about where my hood is it takes 15 minutes to get to
the store just to get a gallon of milk or bread, but that
is the price you pay to live in a peaceful place like Panna Maria.


It takes me about 45 minutes to one hour to get
from Panna Maria to Palo Alto College. I take
off from FM81 to Hwy 123 and turn left back on to
Fm 81 towards Hobson. From Hobson, I turn right
on to Hwy181 north and drive towards Floresville, about 18
miles and pass Floresville heading north to
I-37. From there, I exit on to Loop 410 and drive 10 miles
west to Palo Alto College. When students or teachers
ask where I am from, they are surprised to find that I
drive so far to come to school. My drive to school and back home
gives me a chance to think about my day or what I have to plan for the week. It is my alone time.

I have a good friend that lives 4 miles from my hood.
We go shopping together and hang out at the local dances.
Here lately, we have been busy with work or school and
haven't spent much time together. It is usually around the
holidays that we go to the dances.


My hood is a peaceful place I can get my rest on the
weekends and not worry about driving to San Antonio.
It is also a place that I would like to spend more time
at home and visit with my neighbors. I love my hood
in the oldest Polish settlement in the United States.