Trees

There is a time and place for palm trees.  I imagine them on a tropical island, breezing in the wind in front of a sunset, while I lay on the white sand (and perhaps drinking a mojito).In my opinion, Los Angeles doesn’t seem to be the right place. Target to Home Depot to Albertson’s to Trader Joes. It’s just one affordable shopping center after another. (Don’t even get me started on IKEA – what is up with that crazy place?!)

I recently went to LA for five days and returned home a couple weeks ago. I was visiting my dad at his new house. It was nice to see him, but it was strange to see this new lifestyle he lead. He grew up in a family of six and lived in the same small town for most of his life up until three years ago. It was surprising to me to see how easily he managed to blend in with this fast-paced and ever-changing culture. It took an hour to drive anywhere amongst the palm tree speckled boulevards. I was a little frustrated, but I imagine if I found the right podcast, I would be just fine.

It seemed like it would be really hard to be a “somebody” in LA. Where is the support? The creativity? The compassion? As someone who grew up in a small hippie town, I can see adjusting to city life would be difficult for me at first. I still want to do it, I have this fire in me for an adventure and I think pursuing a career in the city would be a welcome challenge – just not in LA. Maybe Portland? I definitely need to do some more traveling to figure that out. Part of it is figuring out what you don’t want to do and it will get you on your way.

It’s like the palm trees just remind me of a plastic lifestyle, now. People are always trying to get ahead and seem so unhappy. They look to the palm trees for relaxation and comfort when I just see prickly, dry posts sticking up into the skyline.

I came home eager to see the Northern Coast of California, with bright blue skies and a full palette of greenery awaiting me. I took a deep breathe and exhaled. There is something about this place, in its slow pace. People take an extra minute to listen to each other. In a  life where most people are still struggling to find themselves, why chose to live somewhere that adds another element of hurt and confusion?