Southern California is indeed, another world. I forgot how many Mercedes, Jaguars, BMW's, and the like, litter the streets of PCH, the 405, the 91, the 10, the 101, the 60, the 57, the 5, the 710, and the, well you get the idea. When I left to go running this afternoon, the neighbors (owners of the above mentioned dog), asked if I was in fact crazy for attempting to go running in a mere t-shirt and shorts in this rather "chilly" weather (60 degrees, Fahrenheit, mind you). I encountered numerous other joggers on the boardwalk, clad in tights, hoodies, beanies, even gloves (!) walking their designer dogs and listening to friends' tales of failed plastic surgeries and the new Juicy Couture bags they just purchased for their 11 year old daughters. Luckily, my scoffs and scorns were replaced with a smirk as I paused to watch the gorgeous Pacific sunset beyond pounding 4-6' surf. The oranges, pinks, and yellows in the sea spray seemed to soften my contempt and judgments as I remembered that I was once, and still in many ways am, a proud Californian.
Looking for a theatre in which to watch "Sherlock Holmes" tonight, (*sidenote: the movie was very good, but the previews almost caused me to lose faith entirely in Hollywood; six horrible sneak peaks and not a single film on which I would waste a dollar at Movies 8) I found five within a single zip code. Good and various restaurants abound are within fingertips, cultural and sporting events (one in the same) occur daily, and you can partake of a myriad of outdoor activities in world-class settings virtually year-round: surfing, skiing, boating, biking, golfing, climbing, hiking, celeb-spotting, etc.. If I head in my car, (or on my bike if feeling more adventurous) I can leave the country sooner than I can enter another of United States. If I head due East, North, or even West a few miles offshore, I may find one of eight National Parks (a number matched only by Alaska, which occupies a geographical area four times as large as CA). I can hear nearly a dozen different languages spoken on any given day simply by visiting a shopping mall (which, ironically, are boasted to be tops in the country). I can support one of 15 professional athletic teams (the good: go Blue!, the bad: RaiderNation, and the ugly: SF Giants) within state line. If blessed with residency (and good grades), you can attend one of hundreds of higher-learning institutes, including the nation's two best public universities, UCLA and Cal Berkeley.
Whether you crave a big city scene, fun beaches, hippie deserts, snow-capped mountains, towering redwoods, sleepy coastal towns, wide open spaces, agricultural valleys, or wine countries, I'm pretty sure you can find it here. Sure, my friends may out-pay me four to one in rent and cost of living when compared to other locales, and the Kindergarten Cop & his gubernatorial cabinet may have left the state economy in shambles, and there may be smog, along with a few pretentious people ("the land of gracious living?!!"), blah blah blah, but the simple fact is: this state is incredible. Take it or leave it, love it or hate it, California is worth all the hype. Perhaps some day I will once again grace this sunny southland with my more permanent presence, but for now, I am a full-fledged, proud Utahan. I really do love UT, but I can still be a native California girl at heart.
