We arrived in Southern California several days ago and have been enjoying our new home as well as heading to the beach almost every day. The cross country trip was an enjoyable trek for many reasons. I absolutely enjoyed taking in the grand views along the way as well as visiting with family and friends along the route. The kids had a blast but were so incredibly happy to arrive to their new home and sleep in their own beds. Time flew during the trip and I am almost sad that it is already over. Like the kids however, I am very happy to embrace my new, yet familiar surroundings. I have not lived in Southern California for 20 years so I am getting adjusted to the traffic on the freeways and discovering new restaurants and shopping centers around town. I went out with the girls one night to watch an 80's cover band at a club in a nearby town. The age span of patrons ranged from 21 to 70! The music was fun but reminded me how incredibly shallow the whole bar scene is. I sat back and people watched for awhile and it kind of reminded me of the whole Match.com experience. Time has not changed the bar scene any from my earlier recollections of it in the 80's and early 90's. I'm not sure if this is just a California thing or if it just spans all bars across the globe. Perhaps California just takes it to a new level. I hate to slam California on this issue but there is some truth to the idea that California is more....shall we say, easy going and superficial. Not everyone fits into the stereotype of course but the energy is absolutely different on the West Coast compared to other parts of the country. I was a bit sad at the club watching everyone trying to get attention from each other. I was in a crowded bar yet never felt so alone. Am I the only one observing how sad the entire scene really is? Perhaps the East Coast added a bit of depth to this California girl after all. I may go back to that club just to watch that 80's band again. They really looked like they were just enjoying playing the music and not taking any of it too seriously. I can relate to that. Another new discovery was a new spa I went to today. My friend Adrienne and I lost my car however in the parking garage. Let me rephrase that....the car was never lost, we were! The garage at the Galleria is so large, we got completely turned around and spent at least a half hour searching for it. Once we found it, I got onto the wrong freeway going the wrong direction! It is amazing I made it all the way across the country based on the errors I made today. More lessons in patience, laughter and going with the flow. I may need to use my navigation the next time I go to the Galleria however and input the parking level into my iPhone. I can handle getting to know Southern California with new eyes, a fresh perspective and a bit of maturity. Time has changed me in many ways as well as my perspective of California. Now when I am at the beach, I'm not just enjoying the sun and the waves but I am truly observing the absolute beauty of everything around me. My pictures will be a way for me to capture the glory of California as I take in her beautiful sights. We will be visiting Disneyland Monday, another of California's wonderful places to visit. On a side note, at the beach the other day, my ten year old son looked at me earnestly and said, "I am SO glad we moved to California." It was the highlight of my week!! Changes may be tough at first but as my son has already learned in time, they offer new and wonderful opportunities. "Time has been transformed, and we have changed; it has advanced and set us in motion; it has unveiled its face, inspiring us with bewilderment and exhilaration"....(Kahlil Gibran).
No comments:
Post a Comment