Two years ago my hubby was offered an opportunity to move to California.  He asked me if I was ready to make the leap from being an East (Right) Coaster to a Left Coaster – I didn’t hesitate long enough to even blink and before I knew it we were sorting and packing 17 years worth of “stuff” (most of it useless, I must add). That was nearly two years ago and we haven’t looked back.

When I landed at Los Angeles airport (LAX) hubby greeted me and said words that to this day make me smile – “Welcome home“.  Now before you think this is a naive love-fest for California, note we had longed to be residents of California for quite some time.  Many family vacations were spent in some of our favorite places such as Laguna, Coronado and San Juan Capistrano.  So, when opportunity knocked I bought another bathing suit, checked out places to move that would have walkability, safe neighborhoods with a view and started to pack! (The makers of Rubbermaid pack and stack tubs thank me to this day!)

I started to write my “What I love about California list” before the moving van actually arrived.  And, I add to it on a regular basis.  Without any further adieu and in the spirit of David Letterman’s Top Ten Lists,  here are my Top Ten Reasons Why I Love California!

#10 – Weather. This is obvious and why anyone would love to move to Southern California. The weather is glorious most days and even the bad days are not all that awful.

#9- The weathermen on TV.   Not such an obvious choice. I get a kick out of watching the weather forecasters on Los Angeles TV.  Let’s face it – what exactly can they do to make SoCal weather sound exciting day after day? Well, it appears that they spice up the broadcast by offering up the  weather forecasts for other cities, mostly in other states.  Last week alone we covered Dallas to Portland, Maine on our local weather.  If nothing else, my geography has really improved in the past two years.

#8 – Thai food.  I do love Thai food and this area has such an abundance of great Thai food restaurants! In fact,  Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. food is top notch here!

#7 – The beaches. Enough said.

#6- Parking at the beaches.  Almost always a great spot can be found.  Easy to walk to on to the beach and in some cases you can even bring your dog! Jones Beach, New York  – I love you, but there is much to learn here!

#5 – Movie galas. Where else can you see one movie premiere after another – only here in LaLaLand!

#4- The people are nice.  I have heard mixed reviews on the “warmth” of LA folks.  Yet, I have lived in a lot of places and LA may not get the “congeniality” award, but it is not the worst either. People in LA are fine by me!

#3- Traffic.  If you think that LA traffic is bad I want to offer a comparison.  Go ahead and drive the Washington DC beltway at 5pm on a weekday.  Better yet, do it when snow is PREDICTED and see how it compares to LA.  Want to triple the fun? Try NYC anytime on Thanksgiving weekend.  Or I double dare you to do drive through Staten Island and Brooklyn en route to Long Island – any time of any day!  And, if you are in a rush to get to an airport skip Chicago! If you are a doubting Thomas by all means read this traffic comparison report.

#2. Sunrise, Sunset.  I could snap a photo a day of the sunrises and sunsets and never get tired of it! (Enjoy my pics on this blog, by the way.)

#1- I love that in California there is no reason to ever say, ” I am bored.”   If you do it is your own fault. Grab your keys and ride to the mountains or the beaches. Go walk, hike, bike ride or swim.  The outside is your playground and healthy living reigns here.

I will end my tribute to California with just a little caveat – other states have wonderful attributes, too. So, Californians don’t forget that planes can fly outside of our sunny state and the roads do go east, north and south.

Happy Holidays everyone and be safe wherever your travels may take you!

~Louise

This slideshow requires JavaScript.