Sunday, February 15, 2009

Reasons for Leaving California

People are funny I tell ya, real "kick-ass" funny. They hear what they want to hear and focus on what they want to focus on. I am not an exception.

Everyone seems to think that my special Honey is my reason for leaving California. They haven't heard the many times that I have said "I am leaving California." If he were not in my life I would still be leaving. I would probably have put a map up and thrown a dart at the Eastern side of the map and picked a place to move to.

I have been fortunate and blessed that I met someone who lives on the east coast and has taken the time to show me around a portion of Pennsylvania. I like what I saw when visiting there. I am looking for something different than what I have here. If I were looking for the same it wouldn't make any sense for me to move.

I didn't move to California for the weather. I am from the deep south. The coldest weather that I have experienced there was on a Mardi Gras day when it was 4 degrees. We get a cold that goes to your bones because it is combined with a high humidity. I am a "seasonal worker". I don't mind working my ass off when it is cold and rainy outside. I tackle all those rainy day projects. When the sun is shining I want to be outside playing. I love having my windows open. There aren't enough days here for me to do that. We don't have spring or fall. We go from hot to cold. I miss thunder and lightning. To me, that's the energy of rain. I haven't heard thunder or seen lightning in almost 10 years! We get rain here, but it's just rain. I have been told that there are other parts of California that are small town and just what I want and I don't have to leave. People seem to take it so personal my leaving. Like I am leaving their restaurant.

I have a plan. Don't you? I plan to be traveling a lot to Europe. It makes more sense for me to be half way there living on the east coast than to fly from California. Anyone who has traveled from California to Europe can tell you it is a gruelling trip. You are half dead when you arrive in Europe unless, of course, you stop in New York, spend the night, and then continue on to Europe. I will be 2 hours from Philadelphia and JFK airports which are both International airports.

I don't want to live in a place where I have to be concerned, aka worry, about so much. I am over the earthquakes. I lived through the Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994. I was living in Van Nuys at the time and had massive damage done to my home while I was in it. It was up there with one of the scarest events of my life. All of the experts say "It's not IF it's going to happen, it's WHEN it's going to happen." It's coming and I don't want to be here for it. Been there... done that. I am not suggesting that everyone up and leave California for that reason. If you are comfortable living here, then you should stay. I am not ... and I am leaving.

I don't want to live anyplace that is a target for a terriost attack. I just want one less thing to have to be concerned about. The back woods of Pennsylvania isn't on a terriost map, Los Angeles is.

I am so over the traffic in Los Angeles you have no idea. The mere fact that it takes 2 1/2 hours to drive 40 minutes is just insane to me. Thank God I don't commute to work. In facts, commuting to work has never been an option for me. I just refuse to do it. If you aren't driving in Los Angeles, well you aren't doing anything else in Los Angeles. Hence, I don't do LA stuff.

I am tried of paying 2 arms and 2 legs to live in a "descent" place. For what I pay I could be living like a King in another part of the US. I am only going to be paying 1/6 of what I pay now and I will be living quiet comfortable.

I want to breath clean air! It's either the smog or the smoke. I am over the fires that occur here EVERY year. We have "fire season". It's like we traded spring and fall for "fire season". Yes, it is unlikely that my place would burn down. However, when the fires start you really have to make sure your doors and windows are closed. I can't let my cats on the balcony, I can't take a walk around the block. The smoke hurts your lungs when you breath and it looks like it is snowing with the ashes. I have quiet a few pictures of the ashes on my patio furniture, on my car and outside my front door. I am done.

I don't do LA stuff. I don't do enough to warrant me living here. I did all of the LA stuff when I moved here 23 years ago and I did it a lot. I have explored the west coast from Mexico up to Vancouver and everywhere in between. I have camped at Mt. Rainier in Washington, I have been to Diamond Lake, in Oregon, I have toured the Victorian homes in Eureka, California, I have toured the Redwoods, San Francisco, and everywhere in between. Now it is time for me to explore the east coast. I have friends from Florida all the way up to Nova Scotia and everywhere in between. I am looking forward to visiting and reconnecting with them. I want to see what Vermont and Maine are like.

People are too busy here in California. Remember most of them have 2 jobs. It's very difficult to stay connected with people here. It's like you have to put out 3 times the energy that you would anywhere else if you want to stay connected. For New Years 2008 I asked my friends to make a joint New Year's Resolution with me, that we would make an effort to get together once a month for lunch or dinner. They all thought it was a great idea. And 90% of them stuck with it. When 2009 rolled around only one of my friends mentioned it and asked if we could keep up the tradition this year. She is truly the person I will miss the most. And it's funny because I am actually meeting her for dinner tonight. It doesn't feel right or natural with what it takes to stay connected to people out here in California.

This picture is of the sun setting in Santa Monica, California.

Ciao

2 comments:

  1. There's nothing like slamming a beer and punching out a black bear for digging through your trash. (Or, if you're like me, kindly asking the bear to neatly remove the objects it wants so you can tidy up easily and not waste another plastic bag.) NEPA is one of the few places close to civilization you can do that.

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  2. Well said, well explained why you make the choices you make. Not that it should be anyone's business why you move ;-))

    Closer to Europe uh? ...Sounds good!

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