A Pretty Sunday

via davidrager.org

SO, I’m moving. On Monday. This seems a little late for an official announcement via blog post, but I guess it’s something I’ve been avoiding because it hasn’t quite hit me that I won’t be living in California come Monday. And I’ve been avoiding any semblances of “going away” shindigs because I just hate goodbyes. Although I finally realized I do want to see my friends and soak up as much of them as I can before I leave. I just absolutely hate when people say things like “well, this is the last time I’ll see you for awhile,” or “you’re leaving meeeeee!!” before giving me a big hug. It just makes me want to break down and start bawling. Which I’ve been doing from time to time, in random places like grocery stores and in my car by myself.

A lot of people were completely shocked by my decision to move, but then they usually say something about always wanting to pick up and just move somewhere like Chicago. Now that I’m doing it, I’ll be honest and say that I don’t want to. I mean, of course I want to. I’ve made my decision and I’m not going back on it. I know in the end, it’s going to be a good thing. But in the meantime, everything I do while I’m still in California just reminds me why people live here and love it here. I’ve never lived anywhere other than California my entire life, and I’ve never needed to. We have it all – sunshine, beaches, mountains, forests, great cities, cool people. Last December we went Christmas shopping in shorts. When it gets below 60 degrees we put on jackets and talk about how cold it’s getting. We have to get our alcohol before 2 a.m. We have bomb-ass Mexican food at any time of the day or night. We say things like “freeway” and “hella.” We say “like” way too much. We have celebrities and Hollywood. We see people come here to “make it” and most of them end up as waiters or baristas. We have PCH and I swear if you drive down it in certain areas it could do you more good than seeing a psychiatrist, the view is that beautiful. We have some of the worst traffic in the world. And I love it. All of it. So even though I started writing this not knowing how it would turn out, I guess it’s my love letter to the state. California, I love you. I’m off to pursue some other things for a little while, but you’ll always be home to me.