August 14, 2009

• Today I was on the bus back from work and had an epiphany that swept me off my feet, well, as much as I could have been while sitting.  I saw a couple of people, young adults I think, and they got out of their car and were heading into a restaurant to eat.  It was a small center with an insurance company, a dry cleaning store, a bakery, a sandwich deli/cafe, and a Chinese restaurant.  But the way the blue of the sky, the trees in the background, the angle of the sun’s rays fired my imagination.. and I saw a different state, one where cars are still used, but aren’t a focus of one’s lifestyle, a state where the blue sky is deliciously present, not marred by smog or hidden by skyscrapers.. where greenery is plentiful..

  I don’t know where I will end up in the future.  I’ve lived in New York, but now that I’ve spent four years in California, I think I’ve become more mellow and the anxiety and tense-ness of NYC would only stress me out.  I thought about Washington before, like in Seattle or Portland where everyone bikes.. but the constant rain and gloomy fog might bring me down.  Washington D.C. sounds like a nice city, and particularly suited for those who are in politics or involved in government.. it’s appealing, but I also wonder if I could ever come to love another famous city as much as I loved, and love, NYC.  I don’t like Boston because it’s gotta be even colder up in Mass., and it feels like a city whose roots lie firmly planted in the past — unlike cities that are ever evolving while retaining an energy at its core that is all its own..  I do have a soft spot in my heart for Los Angeles.. the truth is, it’s growing on me.  Although I hate its car culture, one of the reasons being environmental–I support mass transit that is efficient and safe, doesn’t need bells and whistles beyond that–another is because it’s a tiring sight and drains me.. the whoosh whoosh of the cars never seem to stop.. they slow down at 4 a.m. but start up again at 5.  Despite its cars, Los Angeles has pockets of interesting neighborhoods to explore, eateries to experience hopefully with friends, interesting nooks for the animal lover, the vintage clothing lover, the vegan, the person still living in the 80s, the health juice enthusiast, the architectural major, the one on the look out for film/TV work and more.  Despite the cars, I can’t complain about the mountains in the distance, knowing the ocean isn’t far either.  Of course, you can’t ignore the fact that an income gap exists here as elsewhere.. or that our state deficit is bringing Arnold many gray hairs..

  • 11:18 pm
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