OMG! This heat!
Pretty sure you all know I live in Southern California in the greater Los Angeles area. It's August. Excuse my french, but it's FU$%!#& HOT! I cannot stand weather extremes! And fire weather is now a year-round issue which sucks for air quality.
As my stories easily point out, I am originally from Minnesota. So, if I hate the hot, why don't I move back? I get asked this a lot. It's because I hate winter cold even more. Way more. If given the choice between Minnesota cold and California hot, give me the hot. What I really want is to get to a point where I can have a place in each location. Half the year here, half the year there.
The heat makes it difficult for me to function because it makes me sleepy tired. But the cold literally makes me physically hurt every where. Even with Lupus in remission, the pain caused by the cold is unbearable. I would rather deal with the fatigue from the heat.
But, I still love Minnesota. The best place in the world to be is in a boat on a peaceful lake at the end of May when the fish are biting on empty lures, and at the end of September in the same boat on the same lake when the trees are displaying their best attire just for you to gaze upon them. And to finish those evenings off with the loon calling goodnight to the sun as it sets below the horizon is heaven on earth.
Southern California, on the other hand, has magic of its own that lasts throughout the year. You can do it all here. Winter skiing to summer surfing is available within a couple of hours drive. And the fresh fruit and vegetables grown nearby picked at the moment of ripeness has a much more potent and fresh flavor than picked weeks too early so it can be shipped and sold before rotting. I never understood the need for avocadoes when I lived in Minnesota until I got here and had one that left the tree at just the right time.
Minnesota has a beauty all its own with the rich, black, fertile soil that leads to green crops as the growing season goes on. California has the mountains that break up the endless horizon and give it a pleasing aesthetic. At the same time, the endless horizon of the ocean lends a sense of oneness with the Creator that brings peace to my soul.
Of course, there are the celebrities that the Minnesotans sometimes ask me about. When we first moved here, I acted like a typical tourist which irritated the crap of the locals. There is an unwritten rule about the celebs. They have lives too. Unless you are a paid paparazzi, we leave them alone to live their lives. Their celebrity status is a job just like any other. We don't get overly excited and embarrass their families. Unless you see them down in Hollywood, cause then they are likely promoting something and want the attention to sell tickets. Took me way too long to learn that. So, yes, I have run into my fair share of celebs, but I probably won't elaborate on it for you. Probably. Well, I have a couple of times. I am still a Minnesotan at heart after all.
The expense. Now, there is a reason why I may have to leave my chosen state some day relatively soon. No question it costs way too much to live here. But then I look around at what I am all paying for, and it makes me want to stay and pay.
My doctors here in California saved my life. I really don't want to lose them.
I love the diversity. I love how it isn't a sea of white. I love hearing foreign languages spoken everywhere I go.
What about the earthquakes? Yep. They can be a problem. As can the tornadoes and blizzards in Minnesota. That's kind of a wash. Although, one of my favorite times of my life is the three day aftermath of a blizzard that took all that time for plows to let us out of our driveway. It was great family time!
What about friends and family? I've got friends and family I love dearly in both locations and in other locations throughout the US and Canada. And God keeps building that list. Thank God for the internet so I can keep growing those relationships!
There you have it. If I lived in a perfect world, well, I wouldn't have lupus at all, but, since I do, in a perfect world I would have the resources to live in Minnesota May through September and here the rest of the year. But, it isn't a perfect world.
Where would you prefer to live? What is preventing you? Can you overcome it and make it happen? I'm working on it, but let's not forget. It's not about the destination. It's about the journey. I'm enjoying the journey. I hope you are too.
If you have a comment or question, or a blog idea, shoot me an email at humorinchaos@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
Sarah
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