Max Riffner
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Going Back to Cali
My friend Zach’s son, Adam, staring out at the Pacific.
Most of last week was spent in Laguna Beach for a wedding. I have to say, I enjoyed it more than I thought it would. My friend Tim keeps bugging me to move out there, and I can see the attraction now. Good weather, and there is always something going on. I think that was the most striking notion as I drove back into Omaha late Sunday night (“this place is dead”).
I had never been to California before this year. The LA area just seems like one giant sprawl of activity. San Francisco seemed like a place where I’d feel more at home, just for the cycling alone (the cyclists in Laguna rode bikes more expensive than my car – and that I could tell should inform you as to how much I strangely lust over bikes).
Overall though, beautiful places. I’m happy to be traveling more around the United States. I’ve been to 5 countries, but haven’t really explored much of the own country I live in.
If I could just get over the bug I picked up over there, I’d be happy. Running myself to exhaustion is a common theme on my trips…
Tim LenonNov 15, 03:04 PM
The grass is always greener on the other side. Any place becomes familiar over time and becomes that boring “normal”.
Getting out and making life is more important than searching for it in a zip code. Just my 2 cents.
It’s all about what you want out of life. Sure, the beaches are nice, but after driving in and around LA and the Bay Area, I don’t think I could handle the commuting. Or the mortgage payments. Or the LA smog. Or the earthquakes. Or the wildfires.
Now, dodn’t get me wrong, California is a cool place and like you I can definitely see the attraction, I just don’t think that I would like living there.
And since you titled your post after a hip-hop song, I’ll leave you with some Atmosphere lyrics that pretty much sum up my feelings from their song Shh…:
Follow the dream doesn’t mean leave the love
Roam if you must, but come home when you’ve seen enough
I love New York and Cali, but I ain’t movin’
Too overpopulated saturated with humans
[Chorus]
So if the people laugh and giggle when you tell em where you live
Say shhh, say shhh
And if you know this is where you wanna raise your kids
Say shhh, say shhh
If you’re from the Midwest and it doesn’t matter where
Say shhh, say shhh
If you can drink tap water and breathe the air
Say shhh, say shhh
Life is as you make it … no matter where you live.
I think it is important to see what is out there … and to dream of living elsewhere, even if it is just to shake up your perspective a bit.
What is wrong, in my opinion, is never wondering about living elsewhere or never daring to consider it.
TimmyNov 24, 05:32 AM
You also are not required to live in California till you die. They allow you to come and go. I don’t think I’ll live here forever. But I’ve moved around more than a case of pink eye. (Just watched Knocked Up)
Thanks for coming out the California! It was so much fun! I wish I could spent more time hanging out more, but the time was spread thin.
Max,
We could use more talented folks like yourself out West here. Come, come… where the grass in greener, the fuel burns cleaner, and there’s always an awkward ad on for Stanley Steamer. (You know the one… with the dog “dragging” on the carpet.)
The Yay area is lovely place to live. I’ve only felt one earthquake since being out here 3 years. No fires up here. And I have a 9-minute door-to-door commute. That, and I rent. :)
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Nov 15, 11:17 AM
You need to come to Vegas, then, buddy.