It's days like these that remind me that I love being here: Sunshine, 73 degrees, not a cloud in the sky.
The other day, I was confronted by Z about me not wanting to live here. How I have a strong aversion to not wanting to become a part (integral or not) of California. Yes, I make fun of Californians a lot. So do a lot of transplants I meet out here. I've met some great people from CA; I've met some crappy people from CA, but isn't that true everywhere?
Yes, I miss The South. I miss my family. I miss the Cracker Barrel. I miss driving on the Interstate without the feeling of fighting for my life.
Yes, I don't want to raise my family here. I believe CA has a lot to offer a child in terms of things to do, diversity, and open-mindedness. But I don't want to raise my child in an apartment. I want my child to have a yard, get grass stains and ride her bike safely on the street. I want to call her in for dinner when the sun starts to set. I want her to know her neighbors and know her neighborhood. I don't want to pay $800K for a house. I just don't.
But I love the healthy choices out here: the organic food, the farmers' markets, the art galleries (although not the best, still, at times, pretty cool), the beaches. Maybe I'm just like my mother: she's never satisfied (a la Prince, not seriously like my mother). I'm sure if I ever moved back to the South, I'd complain about the humidity, the air conditioning bill, and the lack of an ocean within 10 hours of my house.
