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Ten Years in California

2013 June 23
by WWGD

WhatWouldGwynethDo

Ten years ago today I left Montreal and moved to California.

California wasn’t my first choice (New York was), but I needed to start a new chapter for a variety of reasons and its palm tree lined streets would be my destination.

It took me a long time to get along with Los Angeles. Its traffic, its pressures, its cost of living, it all added up to a lot of stress for me for a lot of years.

But as I started to mellow out and become more native in my thinking, its streets, avenues and yes, even the freeways, opened up a world of possibilities.

It’s the place where I got engaged. It’s the place where my career took off in ways I could have never imagined. It’s the place where I met interesting people, saw interesting things, went to interesting places. It’s the place that taught me about good sushi, clean living and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. It’s the place where I had my babies, where I bought my first house, where I experienced the infinite joys of having the mountains, the desert and the beach all just a short drive away.

California may or may not be our final destination. We may look back one day on this decade in the sun and see it as just another chapter in our lives. Or we may continue to write our story here. We’re not really sure at this stage. But whatever road we take, the years we spent navigating its palm tree lined streets will always feel like home.

Thank you for ten great years, California. I am going to celebrate you today.

*photo via here*

6 Responses
  1. Sara no h. permalink
    June 23, 2013

    Congrats on 10 years! That’s an exciting milestone no matter where you are.

    We recently moved to SF (thanks for the locals guide BTW- been using it as we navigate our new home). I wish I could speed up the thinking like a native process- the same things that troubled you are causing me quite a bit of worry. Glad to hear it eventually comes, but if you have any tips that will get me there faster- I’ll take ’em.

    • WWGD permalink*
      June 23, 2013

      Sigh, I know the feeling. I wish it could say it came to me faster than it actually did – but I was also terribly homesick and solo for the first eight months or so, which made it harder. I think the best piece of advice is to embrace everything you possibly can. Find a coffee spot you love, a route home that makes you happy, act like a tourist so you see the city’s sights, and remind yourself every day that change is good. 🙂

      • Sara no h. permalink
        June 24, 2013

        Thanks so much for that! I will take it on board! 🙂

  2. June 23, 2013

    We are celebrating our 10 years here this summer as well! Amazing how fast the decade went, right?

    • WWGD permalink*
      June 23, 2013

      Fun! Yes, it went fast but I am even more blown away by how much has CHANGED in ten years from when I arrived. And leaves me wondering what another ten will bring… 🙂

  3. June 29, 2013

    What a milestone! I may be biased, but California is a great place to live. My one regret in life is not living in NYC, but I have and continue to spend so much time there, I kinda feel like I get the benefits of living in that great city without the outrageous rent 🙂

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