I got back home from my school in Oregon last week and decided to share my thoughts with you over summer. If you would like to read the first volume of my Summer Chronicles click here.
Heck yeah, I'm from California! And before you start asking about what life is like "in Cali" let me stop you right there - only out-of-staters call it "Cali". Now we can continue: What is life like in California? Well first of all, on the same day you could go to a sunny beach and a wooded trail. This means that while it may not be expected, many of us Californians surf and hike.
We also have an obsession with avocados and whatever the new health craze is. If the sun is out (which is most of the time) you will catch family bike rides and friends on their group workouts.
In our (not so) humble opinions, the only Mexican food that rivals our own is from Mexico. It hurts our hearts when others call "Taco Bell," "Del Taco" and "Chipotle" Mexican food. While those are dining establishments, they are not authentic Mexican food.
Contrary to how movies portray us, we are not all tan and blonde. Some of us still burn, very badly. Others have the darkest hair you can think of. While there is always some truth stereotypes are based on, this one seems the most absurd. Although I suppose I understand where it came from, seeing as the sun shines the most here.
Not all of us have gone to Disneyland, but those who have cannot stop talking about it. We know how to navigate the parks and if we are being honest, we would live there if we had the chance!
Despite popular belief, the majority of Californian females do not have a "Valley Girl" accent and most males do not sound like "Surfer Dudes." Although we do have some... unique phrases lovingly named "California English". To use the phrase "Heck yeah!" is completely acceptable and not at all weird. Also, "No yeah" means yes, "yeah no" means no, and "yeah no, for sure" means definitely. And if you live on the coast you know exactly what the oxymoronic-sounding phrase "June Gloom" means. We also communicate distance with minutes or hours rather than miles. For instance, it takes about 2 hours to get to San Francisco from my small town. And speaking of small towns, California's are more populated than the average city in most midwestern states.
Heck yeah, I'm from California! It is where my heart belongs. My soul is happy just to feel the sun's rays on my skin. The strength of the ocean instills fear and the protection of the woods bestows comfort. To Californians, the West Coast is truly the best coast.
If you would like to hear the soundtrack to my home-state click on the Spotify widget below. Californians, please let me know if there was a description or song that I missed! Much love to you all.
