I’m originally from NYC, I moved out here about 5 years ago for a change of scene but I often miss my hometown. I listen to a fair amount of NPR and enjoy the pretension of being well informed. I also like to regularly remind myself that it’s just a pretension. I enjoy conversations with like-minded people but value conversations with those of a different perspective even more. I speak barbaric Spanish and even worse French. I also speak English, just an FYI. I love cats (always have), love dogs (that took a while, but now I’m sold on them), I’m still working on babies (sometimes I feel they can see my soul and it scares the crap out of me). That being said, they are growing on me.
Taking long hikes, spending a day at the beach, and taking the time to appreciate the beauty of the simple things in life are what I like most. Sometimes that means getting out of town for a long weekend in Palm Springs or Joshua Tree, or perhaps just a short day trip for a healthy stroll in Huntington Gardens. Other times it’s just taking the time to smile at someone and ask them how their day is going, then taking the time to listen.