Things I will (and won't) miss about San Diego

While I'm sad to leave San Diego, a place I've called home for almost 4 years, I'm excited to begin a new adventure in an old familiar part of the country.

In thinking back on my time here and all the things I've learned, I've realized there's going to be a lot of things I do miss and some that I won't so much.

Lets start with what I will miss:

• All the beautiful flowers and foliage that come with the weather



• The "anything is possible" attitude--I know so many young people (both local and relocaters) who have started their own business--I love that in So Cal people feel they can be and do anything



• All the wonderful vegetarian/vegan food--it's so nice to have an option other than grilled cheese at a restaurant



• The (for the most part) open-mindedness--not always, but it's mostly live and let live out here



• The grassroots movements--in CA regular citizens can get any initiative they want placed on a voting ballot (as long as they get enough signatures). I was involved in a Humane Society initiative and while it wasn't fun asking strangers for signatures, it was a great lesson in civic responsibility



• Yelp and Cragislist (apparently these aren't popular in Toledo. I've been on the Toledo Yelp site and most of the far too few reviews are from out of towners. I'm going to have to change this



• San Diego winters (which we're still currently experiencing. It's been 65 degrees and gray for 3 months, except for a mild heat wave last week where it made it into the 80's)



• The beach (even though I rarely use it--too much traffic and too few parking spots)



• Learning that appearances do count. Not that I was a slob before but I've learned that it's nice to spend some money on yourself and get a pedicure (although I do have them use my polish so I can touch up the nail as it grows out and extend the life of the pedicure. I credit my Scottish genes for this one.



• Hearing so many different languages spoken and seeing so many people from different backgrounds



• Being close to a military base (did I hear free gym and no sales tax?)

What I won't miss about San Diego

• The fact that there are no seasons. It's almost the same weather year-round. Which sounds nice in theory, but the 4 years here has been like one big amnesia trip. Everything blends together. Ask me what I did last Thanksgiving, Halloween or Memorial Day and I likely won't be able to tell you



• The traffic and congestion. It takes me 30 minutes to go 9 miles in the morning. 20 minutes of that is simply trying to get on the highway with the rest of the I-5 morning crew. My exit backs up almost 2 miles on the drive home.



• The really, really bad drivers. Like driving 80 mph in the slow lane, passing people, while there are 2 fast lanes wide open. Like motorcycles which are allowed to drive in between 2 cars on the highway. Like people who don't do the "wave" when you let them cut in and act as if you're lucky that you got the privilege. Like people who refuse to let you merge onto the highway even though the lane next to them is empty. My LA-born and bred coworker insists that it's not that people are being rude but that they're just not paying any attention. Hmmm, I think that makes me actually feel worse about driving here.



• May Gray and June Gloom (see entry here)



• Uber casual business attitude. Our receptionist at work is mad because my boss won't let her walk around the office with no shoes on. There's no follow-through in any business related activities here--it's like, "Oh, I'll call you...." For instance, when I called to turn on the cable when we first moved here, the salesman was like, "Ummm, can I just call you back?" and he NEVER did. I thought those guys worked on commission?



• The fact that we're SO far away from everything. We're in the farthest Southwest corner of the country. It's expensive to fly out of here and to catch an international flight, you have to fly or drive to LA



• Too many Paris Hilton wannabe's. I (guess I can) see this if you're clubbing, but at 9 a.m. on a Sunday in Trader Joe's????



• Oh yeah, Trader Joe's! The nearest one is an hour away in Ann Arbor, Mich.

So many things and I'm sure I've forgotten some. Anyone else have any?