Leaving Los Angeles

Ten Things I Will Miss About Southern California
(And Ten Things I Won't)

Well, the time has come. I'm leaving Los Angeles. I've lived here for the overwhelming majority of my life, and now it's time to leave not only this city, but this country.

Who knows where life will lead from here, but I thought I'd put together some thoughts of what I will miss. Of course I'll miss my friends, my family, the fun jobs I've had here, and the familiarity of living in one place for a long, long time.

But I also wanted to put together a list of things I will miss about Southern California itself, as a place - that is, things unique to here and nowhere else.

And, after much thought, here are the lists....

Ten things I certainly will NOT miss about Los Angeles:

(10) Summers so hot that you can't go outside on some days
(9) Getting 150 miles per gas tank because of stop-and-go traffic
(8) Paying way too much for rent
(7) The way no strangers want to look you in the eyes
(6) The public transportation system (or lack thereof)
(5) Paying way too much for groceries, because stores pay way too much rent
(4) The belief that honking a car horn (or speeding) actually solves problems
(3) Smog, and general pollution
(2) The Los Angeles Culture of Stress
(1) Traffic

And Then... Ten things I will miss, and miss dearly:

(10) Mount Baldy - My roots in canyoneering, climbing, hiking, and skiing
(9) The Getty Museum
(8) The Griddle Cafe
(7) Picking (and eating) Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit in the fall (yum)
(6) Getting tough feet from walking in hot sand all summer
(5) Joshua Tree National Park
(4) Great Persian Food
(3) The Sierras, especially the Ansel Adams wilderness
(2) Oak Trees, especially Live Oak trees
(1) The Ocean, which I can swim in all year round

So there you go. Wish me lots of fun in Canada!