California Dreamin'

Last week someone found my blog through a google search asking what is a California Transplant. I'm not exactly how they find me by that as I did a search myself for that and gave up some where around page 14.  But, kudos to them for sticking with it and finding me.

The number one question I get asked in my day to day life when someone finds out I rep the 909, is what the (bleep) are you doing here? Well, that's a good question, so here's the story on how I became a California transplant.

So, I was pretty much born and raised in Souther California. I won't tell you the city though because I'm pretty sure I used that a password security answer some where along the times. Probably should have chosen something more difficult huh? Oh well, life goes on. Just don't steal my passwords, k?

Where was I? .. Oh yes. For most of my life, minus a couple years, I lived in Cali. I spent a year in Colorado and a year in Massachusetts when I was younger, but otherwise, I was in Cali.

Anyways, life was good and I really didn't have a care in the world until I was 16, going through the last couple months of my junior year when my mom told me we were moving. It was pretty last minute, definitely not something that had been planned, but my mom had been told that my grandmother was in bad shape and she wasn't expected to last much longer.

And so, just like that, we packed up and drove 3,000 miles here to New Hampshire to be with her.

My grandmother lasted quiet a bit longer than was originally expected and I'm pretty sure that's due to my mom taking such good care of her. So walked in and fought for my grandmother when the rest of the family walked out.

Those few years after moving here were some of the hardest. If you put the math together, I pretty much moved my senior year. So not only did I have to deal with that, I had to deal with my grandmother's failing health on a daily basis. And while I made it through and I believe I'm better for it, it's definitely not something I'd like to go through again.

I've been in New Hampshire now for a good 11 years and I've adjusted to it for the most part. I don't think I could ever live in California again though as I'm pretty adjusted to the quiet life that is N.H. I like the country here and driving on the hilly back roads covered by trees, driving with the windows open and almost drowning in the scent of lilacs, driving 3 hours north and seeing a moose crossing the street. These are things I'm not so ready to give up.

But, in loving these New England things like Dunkin' Donut's, the Red Sox and the Pats, I still can't live too far from the ocean, I miss palm trees like crazy, I still call the freeway a freeway and I live for the hottest of summer days so I can once again feel the burn of the asphalt on my bare toes.

I still carry California with me where ever I go. To me, it will always be home and forever it will be my state of mind.

So much so that here are a couple things from my Christmas list..

which is here

and this

                                           

which is here

(These come in a ton of other states too!)