It’s a beautiful day here in sunny Cali. I’ve been here nine months now and 90% percent of the days have been incredibly beautiful, 70+ degrees and sunny. Perfect. There have been some chilly days and nights; chilly being in the 50’s which, to an East Coast girl like me, is still nice.
It’s funny, some nights I’ve been out in 50-degree weather and there were people actually walking around wearing winter parkas, furry hats, scarves, gloves, and snow boots, shouting, “It’s freezing!” Really? No, I think 30 degrees would be freezing. This is spring-like. Please get over yourselves.
Rainy days are even more infrequent than chilly days. The rain is always a nice diversion. I wish a torrential rain would come and wash away some of the ever-present dust. Give the smog a good rinsing and let us all breathe a little easier.
Truth be told, I’m homesick. I miss Virginia. I miss the sweet early morning air and the changing of the seasons. I miss snow. Yes, snow. That’s what we need here in sunny California: a good blanket of fresh snow! It would shut down the insanity of too many people in too many cars going nowhere even remotely important.
So, what to do about this homesickness? Should I hightail it back east or stay here until I have been fully assimilated? Will I one day long for the familiar smell of piss as I walk down Venice Boulevard? Will I crave the bland Mexican food advertising itself as authentic? Will I miss choking on the oppressively hot, toxic stuff that sometimes qualifies as air in Long Beach? Methinks not. I do, however, have an unabashed devotion to El Pollo Loco. I will miss that crazy chicken when I leave.
Yeah, I am definitely leaving. I’ll give it a few years, but eventually I will lose tolerance for the incessant sun, wind, and smog and catch a midnight train outta here.
But not today. Today, I’m out soaking up those glorious California rays. I’m going to watch the sunset and be grateful for the experience. Maybe I’ll stop at El Pollo Loco on the way home. Yum.
We must leave this terrifying place tomorrow and go searching for sunshine. ― F. Scott Fitzgerald