Home is Where the Heart Is, Even if it's on The 405...

The other day I came across a brilliant slideshow by Michael Peckerar  called Twenty Things Nobody Tells You About Moving Out Of Southern California.  I moved from Corona, California which is close to Michael's hometown of Claremont.  I nodded, smiled, laughed, and got misty as I read through these, and felt the camaraderie of the shared experience of growing up and living in Southern California.

I could identify with most of his points...yes, my first stop off the plane is In-N-Out.  I will never get used to living in a state that doesn't require you to always say your area code first, because there's only ONE (the same goes for freeways but it's the interstate and everyone seems to drive like they've never been on it before)  Why IS there no good Mexican food outside of California?    And it's 2014 and the world is our neighborhood...why is it not possible to get decent produce everywhere?  I used to take it for granted that I could get to no less than five Nordstrom stores within an hour of my house, find any ingredient for any recipe that I wanted to make almost instantly, and that I could get a killer fish taco or Sprinkles cupcake any time I felt like it.

As I mentioned before, it's looking good that I'll be heading home soon to stay, and I'll be proud to fly my "760" (or 858 or 619) flag because I disagree with Michael on this one, San Diego rocks!  I may miss New Mexico but it will always be close to my heart because, well, it's tattooed on my left arm.  But I'll be glad to be able to walk on the beach any time I please, remembering the time that as a little girl I stood on the beach with my Daddy holding my hand and hearing him say in a wondering voice "isn't the ocean intriguing?"  It sure is.  His ashes were scattered off Point Loma and I know he'd be proud of me for following my dreams to New Mexico, but I also know he'd be secretly pleased that I ended up finding my way home.

What things will always be a part of you, no matter how long you live away from "home"?