The older I get, the more I appreciate having grown up in California.
I totally took it for granted as a kid and as an adolescent. It really didn’t even interest me that one of the world’s most beloved cities was just a half an hour down the street. It didn’t seem to matter that we didn’t have real season changes or snow. I just focused on feeling like I didn’t belong and counted down the days until college.
But now, it’s nice being back — especially because it’s so different from Lansing. I realize now that the Bay Area is very special — from the beautiful landscapes and nice buildings to the roads and the sunshine and the plentiful Mexican food.
The other day, I went to San Francisco and I didn’t think it would be a big deal, but as I approached the Bay Bridge, I couldn’t help but smile. The Pacific Ocean was a beautiful shade of teal, the sun was shining, and the city sat shrouded in fog in the distance — mysterious and alluring.
And I didn’t even mind the traffic; it was nice to be going some place that other people really wanted to be, as well.
California may not be my adult home, but it will always be my childhood home and I appreciate that so much. There’s diversity here, energy here, and a familiarity that is comforting. Sometimes, I think, it takes being away for a while to appreciate a place once you return to it.
What about you? Do you still live in your childhood hometown? If not, do you enjoy going back?
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