A Look Back: Part 1

As of Monday, I have been down in California for exactly 1 year… and I’m still amazed how quickly that year has passed. It’s definitely been an interesting year for Jess and I - a year of firsts really. From our first year of marriage to my first time on a motorcycle, a lot of ground has been covered. So to commemorate the event, I figured it would be fitting to do a multi-part series reflecting on this passing year.

Living in California

A common question I get is “what’s it like living in California”? It’s really not all that different than living in Toronto, but there are some obvious differences - the weather being the clearest standout.

Southern California has unbelievable weather. It’s warm year round, and being close to the coast, it’s usually very consistent - 72° and sunny with a cool breeze. It’s been a bit cooler in the “winter” months, especially at night where we’ll easily see a 30° swing in temperature. But I can’t really complain because last I checked, there’s no snow (although sometimes there is frost).

Living in Dana Point and working in Laguna Beach has kept us close to the ocean. It’s not uncommon to have lunch or meetings down at the beach, and my commute to work is a 15 drive along the coast. The irony is that it appears that Jess and I really aren’t “beach” people now I look back on it. It’s one thing to go and sit on a bench at lunch, but it’s something completely different to fish the sand out of your ass after spending an afternoon lounging on a towel. And lest I forget that I almost stepped on a stingray when I last ventured out into the water. Like I said… we’re not beach people.

Laguna Beach is an interesting little town. For the most part, it’s nothing more than a small shopping district that surrounds a small beach (Ocean Ave and PCH). There is always an interesting cross-section of people down in Laguna, often a healthy mix of tourists, locals and the homeless. You’ll often find at least 1 homeless guy gazing upon the ocean, just taking it all in; A cluster of genetically-perfect men and women playing beach volleyball or lubing-up to bake in the sun; Or a small family of tourists working on their awkward tans despite the overcast skies, choppy waters and cool tempratures. People, please - if you’re on vacation and find yourself alone at the beach, it’s probably because it’s a bad beach day. There’s no shame in waiting a few days and coming back when the weather is better!