As I was driving to work this morning, I was wondering why I even bothered to get up. It had pretty much rained all night, and was still raining as I started on my 78 mile commute to the beautiful metropolis known as Oxnard, CA. (For those of you unfamiliar with southern California, Oxnard borders Ventura on the south, and is about 40 miles south of Santa Barbara.)
It's not really that beautiful in Oxnard, but that isn't a problem. The plant where I work is on the very southern end of Oxnard, 1/4 mile from a protected beach. Between us and the beach is agricultural land where lima beans and other similar crops are planted.
My drive takes me along a 50 mile scenic route through Santa Monica, and past the beautiful and rugged coast line of Malibu. The stretch includes the area where Bay Watch was filmed, and another stretch of road popular in automobile commercials.
While todays rain isn't typical for this time of year, (it is the dry season right now), and we can get some cool weather in the winter, where else in the world can you experience such beautiful scenery, plus what I consider to be near perfect, if not perfect weather.
During the winter, in the early morning, temperatures can drop into the mid 40's, or lower on rare occasions, but the sun comes up, and it quickly warms into the lower to mid 60's. We do get a few more clouds, AKA marine layer, in the spring and early summer, but that just makes the days all the more comfortable, for pretty much doing whatever you want, including as in my case, golfing and riding my bike.
Staying fit in California is easy, as there aren't any good excuses for sitting on the couch. It's never that cold in the winter, and seldom that hot in the summer.
Now all that I just described is exactly what can cause California to be a miserable place to live, because it seems everyone wants to move here. At times this area can seem unbelievably crowded, especially if you've ever been on the freeways during rush hour. Even on weekends, regardless of the time of day, traffic jams are a frequent and common occurrence. Everyone seems to be going somewhere, and they're going there in their cars.
It's also expensive to live here. Home prices are among the highest in the country. There just doesn't seem to be enough supply of homes, at least in the coastal communities, where most people would prefer to live. Electricity costs are among the highest in the country also, and gasoline, with the exception of Hawaii maybe, is the highest in the US. And let's not forget about taxes, 8.25% sales tax, 9.3% state income tax just to name a few. Even our school system appears to be in shambles, and there is no doubt we are living in the hotbed of the illegal immigration debate.
All the latter factors make me constantly consider leaving CA, and moving elsewhere.
Sometimes I think about moving back to Pittsburgh, but then I remember what the winters were like when I was growing up. Las Vegas comes up occasionally also, but in the summer it can get unbearably hot, and it is also starting to get overcrowded.
It seems I can always come up with a reason to move, but there just so many more reasons not to. But the biggest reason for not moving, and likely the number one reason I will not move is health care. If you're going to get sick, there is no better place in the world to be, than in California.
Certainly other states have great medical communities, it's just that California has more. And California seems to have the best schools and training hospitals, and more highly regarded physicians. California is also at the forefront in the research and development of new drugs, as well as advancements in new medical procedures.
California may have its downside, but the benefits far out weigh any of those problems. Like the drive home today. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was a deep blue, and the Pacific Ocean was an unusually deep blue and aqua color
It can be tough sometimes living in paradise
It's not really that beautiful in Oxnard, but that isn't a problem. The plant where I work is on the very southern end of Oxnard, 1/4 mile from a protected beach. Between us and the beach is agricultural land where lima beans and other similar crops are planted.
My drive takes me along a 50 mile scenic route through Santa Monica, and past the beautiful and rugged coast line of Malibu. The stretch includes the area where Bay Watch was filmed, and another stretch of road popular in automobile commercials.
While todays rain isn't typical for this time of year, (it is the dry season right now), and we can get some cool weather in the winter, where else in the world can you experience such beautiful scenery, plus what I consider to be near perfect, if not perfect weather.
During the winter, in the early morning, temperatures can drop into the mid 40's, or lower on rare occasions, but the sun comes up, and it quickly warms into the lower to mid 60's. We do get a few more clouds, AKA marine layer, in the spring and early summer, but that just makes the days all the more comfortable, for pretty much doing whatever you want, including as in my case, golfing and riding my bike.
Staying fit in California is easy, as there aren't any good excuses for sitting on the couch. It's never that cold in the winter, and seldom that hot in the summer.
Now all that I just described is exactly what can cause California to be a miserable place to live, because it seems everyone wants to move here. At times this area can seem unbelievably crowded, especially if you've ever been on the freeways during rush hour. Even on weekends, regardless of the time of day, traffic jams are a frequent and common occurrence. Everyone seems to be going somewhere, and they're going there in their cars.
It's also expensive to live here. Home prices are among the highest in the country. There just doesn't seem to be enough supply of homes, at least in the coastal communities, where most people would prefer to live. Electricity costs are among the highest in the country also, and gasoline, with the exception of Hawaii maybe, is the highest in the US. And let's not forget about taxes, 8.25% sales tax, 9.3% state income tax just to name a few. Even our school system appears to be in shambles, and there is no doubt we are living in the hotbed of the illegal immigration debate.
All the latter factors make me constantly consider leaving CA, and moving elsewhere.
Sometimes I think about moving back to Pittsburgh, but then I remember what the winters were like when I was growing up. Las Vegas comes up occasionally also, but in the summer it can get unbearably hot, and it is also starting to get overcrowded.
It seems I can always come up with a reason to move, but there just so many more reasons not to. But the biggest reason for not moving, and likely the number one reason I will not move is health care. If you're going to get sick, there is no better place in the world to be, than in California.
Certainly other states have great medical communities, it's just that California has more. And California seems to have the best schools and training hospitals, and more highly regarded physicians. California is also at the forefront in the research and development of new drugs, as well as advancements in new medical procedures.
California may have its downside, but the benefits far out weigh any of those problems. Like the drive home today. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was a deep blue, and the Pacific Ocean was an unusually deep blue and aqua color
It can be tough sometimes living in paradise
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