Perhaps one of the most widely known “sunshine taxes” of
SoCal is the bad traffic. I knew this in advance but concluded that it was a
price I was willing to pay. I drove over 3000 miles to get here, and 2 weeks in
I was rear-ended pretty badly. This week I got my precious Bosca back, and now
I can write about the top lessons I’ve learned from driving in this foreign
land, along with some of the most exciting experiences, of course.
1. There’s no rush.
Except
on the road trip. We drove for six days in two cars through twelve states. It
was beautiful, amazing, awe-inspiring, and exhausting. Some of the highlights
included the approach into St. Louis, Wilson Lake in Kansas, the trek through
the Rockies, having a speed limit of 80MPH, Arches National Park, and the Grand
Canyon. Getting to experience so much of the breath-taking USA was an
experience I won’t forget. I would definitely do it again, but not so quickly!
Luckily once I arrived, things slowed down. The most pleasant road difference
is that if you don’t move within the first few seconds of an arrow turning
green, you’re not honked at. Imagine that.
2. Don’t worry about that turning signal.
I
can literally go in any direction out here. There is so much to do and try and
see, I wonder if I’ll ever get bored. I can change my mind and try something
new at any point in time, and I can make these decisions whenever. Now that I’m
settled in and have my bearings, I’m ready to take on some new things. I’ve set
a few personal goals for myself, and now it’s just a question of meeting them.
The one that I will definitely signal, so I don’t back out on, is signing up
for another half marathon…maybe even a full this time! Whether SoCal drivers
change their mind at the last minute or not, they somehow just don’t see it as
necessary to use their turning signals.
3. Have patience, it’s going to be a while.
Fortunately,
I prepared myself in this regard with my job. I like doing well, and I like
doing well right from the beginning. I did take a job in a brand new industry
and completely different environment though, so I needed a learning curve. Though
I still have a ton to learn, I am absolutely loving it. I work with wonderful
people who also happen to be very smart and great instructors. There’s an
attitude of work-hard but enjoy life too, and that’s a work characteristic I
know I’ll want to maintain for the rest of my career. As I’ve learned on the
roadways, take it one foot at a time. Even if you’re not cruising at 75, you’re
moving closer to where you want to be.
So I moved to the beach - Newport Beach. Although Huntington Beach was great for the first month and a half, the 30-minute commute to Irvine was less than enjoyable, and I had a 10-minute drive to the beach. First world problem, I realize. Let’s not forget the fact that I moved out here largely in part of my limitless adoration of the beach. My new place is walking distance from Balboa Island, the most charming and adorable part of Newport Beach, in my humble opinion. I’m thrilled with the new place, and now I also happen to be only a 15-minute drive from work. So I’ll no longer need to compete with the throngs of Californians and tourists looking for that prime parking spot within a half-mile of the beach, because my new casa comes with the convenience of being right at the water.
5. There’s no magic time and street.
There are, however, some great ways to meet new people. I’m 25 years young, single, and loving life. So I gave in to the craze and signed up with Tinder. I’ve met some great guys, and I’m enjoying every minute. Now that I’m not scared of meeting someone who will tie me to winter-land, I’m a bit more open-minded. Meetups seem to be promising as well, so the quest for some A+ people will continue. It’s bumpy, and there might not be one easy solution to meeting great people, but I’m pretty confident that if I’m trying a few different routes, I’ll still get there. Similarly, I finally quit trying to find the secret road or time to beat the traffic in the mornings or afternoons; it literally does not exist in this place. There is always traffic. All the same, you have to try out the different paths, right?
6. Shit or bust. If I have free time, I find my happy place – the sand, the ocean, and the palm trees. Whether it’s my morning runs, long weekend runs, after-work pre-sunset hours, or the weekend mid-days, I can’t help myself from hopping over to the beach. I have had two moments now like I dreamed I would. Once I was sitting on the sand, watching the sunset and the waves roll along, and the second I was walking down the sandy shores admiring the surfers and skim boarders, when these moments occurred. It hit me just like a wave – I did it; I’m here. I chased my dream, and I live in sunny Southern California. I just sit in that moment for as long as I like, completely blissed out and content. Whenever you merge here, especially onto a freeway, the merge lane is pretty long. It is somewhat expected that you’ll just get up to speed. So you just go for it. You know where you want and need to be, so you do whatever you have to do to get there. Once you get there, you’re just along for the ride.
Whenever I go home in the future, I don’t think I’ll ever
complain about traffic again. But everything in life is relative. And the grass
is always greener. The grass may be somewhat brown in some areas over here due
to the lack of melted-snow-type elements, but I cherish my new life. I have my
car back and can continue to learn the road rules, adopt to the changes, and
live my life to the fullest. Visitor schedule is open, who wants to plan their
snow-bird trip?
