A lovely post, and perhaps I will take a leaf out of your book Gabrielle - though Cambridge UK looks very pretty at this time of year (& my beloved is gainfully employed at the university).
Thank you, Ann, and, yes, England does look pretty in the autumn and winter - apparently, in Jane Austen's time, a darker sky was thought to be more beautiful all around. But for me, to paraphrase Truman, I couldn't take the dark so I got out of the island!
I really enjoyed this, a beautiful read and though I don't suffer from SAD, I understand how tough the winters can be. I guess I'm lucky in that I love the cold, dark, cosy nights (I lived in Edinburgh for 18 months and loved it). Conversely, I was in LA for a few days for a friend's wedding a couple years ago and...well, let's just say it's not the place for me!
Isn't it funny how some people love what others hate? I once mentioned at a party that I had enjoyed a film that had been universally panned, following which another woman spent the next hour pursuing me around the room explaining exactly what it was that made it a bad film, ignoring my feeble bleatings that I had never for a second claimed it was a good film, simply said that I had enjoyed it ... not in the least a judgment call on seasons or on cities, one way or the other, but it's interesting how reactions will differ ...
Absolutely -films, books, cities and seasons. They all provoke such interesting debate. For me, cities are so often a love or hate feeling without being able to explain why. Even places that I wouldn’t expect to like I do (and vice versa). I went to San Francisco in 2013 and was certain I’d like it, people told me I would, it seemed like my kind of place, and I just didn’t at all. Same with Barcelona, just didn’t like it.
But Palermo, which is chaotic with maniacal drivers and is loud, I just loved. Inexplicable at times.
I was told when I first came here that I'd hate Los Angeles - "it's too big, there's no culture, and everyone is expected to be glamorous." Well, yes it is big, but it's nonsense about the perceived lack of culture - some people are confused by the wide streets and big lawns into thinking it's bland suburbia when in fact it's anything but, there are interesting people, fabulous ethnic pockets, and amazing theater, poetry readings, art exhibits, you name it, you just have to know where to find it. As for the glamor part, well, that's probably true for movie people and real estate agents, but there are plenty of scruffy ol' hippy types like me and we get along just fine. But if you don't take to it, you don't - as you say, it's an individual choice. I like most cities (except Las Vegas) and, but for the weather, could move to, for instance, Edinburgh or Chicago in a heartbeat, but stick me in the middle of the countryside and I break out into a panic attack. I'm happy it's there for people who like it, though ...
Fascinating insight and I love the way you’ve approached this. I’m almost inspired to return one day and give it another shot with this fresh perspective. My head/heart/soul/whatever is way too ‘stuck’ in Europe I think!
That's very touching, Gabrielle, and very nicely put. I don't suffer from SAD, but I know others who do. Some plan their major holidays in the winter so they can escape to the sun. I'm not looking forward to winter… Yes, California is very appealing.
Thank you, Sheila, and, yes there was a reason why we quite carefully planned to hold our wedding in Los Angeles in February! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Currently experiencing my first UK autumn after 18 years of SoCal (Ventura County) falls and while I’ll miss the warm weather (not to mention chilling beachside in Ventura or the ‘Nard), I won’t miss the Santa Ana winds igniting vast swathes of the counties of Ventura and LA., nor everyone’s favourite utility, SoCal Edison, implementing a PSPS over Thanksgiving 🤬🤬🤬
Mar Vista? Pas mal… sandwiched between the 405 and Lincoln (handy cut through for the PCH and VC when the Freeways are jammed - not necessarily quicker but the views are better…) I’m near the Georgian market town of Holt in the Norfolk ANOB… about 3 miles from the coast - and yes the North Sea is as cold as it looks!
Looking forward to your next vignette - have a great turkey day!
Wow, Steve, an English winter after 18 years will be something of a culture shock, I'd think! Let me know how you get along - what took you back to England anyway?
Hi Gabrielle. Tbf we had a couple of years in Suisse Romandie (proper winters!) before being relocated to California and given climate change I’m hoping the English winters - while definitely colder than the VC - won’t be too much of a shock.
Why come back? There’s a myriad of reasons, but ultimately we could afford to retire early - no private medical insurance games or Medicare to navigate, having down-sized, homes are cheaper and our council tax is nowhere near as eye-watering as property tax! In addition, our Social Security and IRAs will go further here than back in SoCal (and once you’ve lived in California you could never move to another State).
Sure there’s things we’ll miss: Rabalais in Santa Paula, the late-lamented Reel Inn near Topanga Canyon on the PCH (here’s hoping they manage to rebuild) and the myriad of gigs and venues (and a shout out to The Echo on Sunset - even if the traffic on the 101 and 118 was always a nightmare…) in LA and environs. The Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena (we were members for years - every visit we’d discover something new) will be sorely missed… fortunately there’s 3 NT stately homes and gardens on our doorstep as compensation…
There were also lazy weekends in Avila and Cayucos, San Francisco at Christmas and the sepia-tinted charm of Pacific Grove… the fact there was a microbrewery not 500 ft from where I worked (allowing me to reintroduce that staple of the lunchtime pint on a Friday 🍻).
But we’ve over a hundred miles of unspoilt coastline on our doorstep, more pubs than you can shake a stick at and the fact that if I want to watch the football team I’ve supported since a kid I don’t have an 11,000 mile round trip!
And finally there’s seasons… gosh I’ve missed them…
Ah, a moment of silence for the Reel Inn! That all makes sense, Steve, and now that you mention it I do have a couple of other British and Irish friend who have retired and either returned there or are planning to. For myself, I can't imagine leaving LA unless for some reason I had to ... but aren't we lucky we have a choice?
Where about in LA are you? After all it’s really just 30-odd cities struggling for an identity 🤣 I could never live there, but loved it to bits - like most West (and tbf, East) Coast cities, it’s a joyous melting pot.
I’ve always said that living in Ventura County we were close enough to LA to pop-over any time, far enough away not to notice it…
We're in Mar Vista, a small community next to Venice but less pretentious than Venice has become (I always feel strange writing that - when we lived in Venice, it was gangland!) We love it here, it's funky and diverse and close to the Ocean, we're friends with our neighbors and there's a terrific Farmers Market on Sundays. What's not to love? Where in England are you? Apparently somewhere on the coast - we have very good friends in Hastings, which is apparently quite the scene these days ...
Hi Gabrielle. Tbf we had a couple of years in Suisse Romandie (proper winters!) before being relocated to California and given climate change I’m expecting the English winter - while definitely colder than the VC - won’t be too much of a shock.
Why come back? There’s a myriad of reasons, but ultimately we could afford to retire early - no private medical insurance games or Medicare to navigate, having down-sized, homes are cheaper and our council tax is nowhere near as eye-watering as property tax! In addition, our Social Security and IRAs will go further here than back in the SoCal (and once you’ve lived in California you could never move to another State).
Sure there’s things we’ll miss: Rabalais in Santa Paula, the late-lamented Reel Inn near Topanga Canyon on the PCH (here’s hoping they manage to rebuild) and the myriad of gigs and venues (and a shout out to The Echo on Sunset - even if the traffic on the 101 and 118 was always a nightmare…) in LA and environs. The Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena (we were members for years - every visit we’d discover something new) will be sorely missed… fortunately there’s 3 NT stately homes and gardens on our doorstep as compensation…
There were also lazy weekends in Avila and Cayucos, San Francisco at Christmas and the sepia-tinted charm of Pacific Grove… the fact there was a microbrewery not 500 ft from where I worked (allowing me to reintroduce that staple of the lunchtime pint on a Friday 🍻).
But we’ve over a hundred miles of unspoilt coastline on our doorstep, more pubs than you can shake a stick at and the fact that if I want to watch the football team I’ve supported since a kid I don’t have an 11,000 mile round trip!
And finally there’s seasons… gosh I’ve missed them…
A lovely post, and perhaps I will take a leaf out of your book Gabrielle - though Cambridge UK looks very pretty at this time of year (& my beloved is gainfully employed at the university).
(...plus, really good insights about the long-term effects of SAD).
Thank you, Ann, and, yes, England does look pretty in the autumn and winter - apparently, in Jane Austen's time, a darker sky was thought to be more beautiful all around. But for me, to paraphrase Truman, I couldn't take the dark so I got out of the island!
Very wise, Gabrielle!
I really enjoyed this, a beautiful read and though I don't suffer from SAD, I understand how tough the winters can be. I guess I'm lucky in that I love the cold, dark, cosy nights (I lived in Edinburgh for 18 months and loved it). Conversely, I was in LA for a few days for a friend's wedding a couple years ago and...well, let's just say it's not the place for me!
Isn't it funny how some people love what others hate? I once mentioned at a party that I had enjoyed a film that had been universally panned, following which another woman spent the next hour pursuing me around the room explaining exactly what it was that made it a bad film, ignoring my feeble bleatings that I had never for a second claimed it was a good film, simply said that I had enjoyed it ... not in the least a judgment call on seasons or on cities, one way or the other, but it's interesting how reactions will differ ...
Absolutely -films, books, cities and seasons. They all provoke such interesting debate. For me, cities are so often a love or hate feeling without being able to explain why. Even places that I wouldn’t expect to like I do (and vice versa). I went to San Francisco in 2013 and was certain I’d like it, people told me I would, it seemed like my kind of place, and I just didn’t at all. Same with Barcelona, just didn’t like it.
But Palermo, which is chaotic with maniacal drivers and is loud, I just loved. Inexplicable at times.
I was told when I first came here that I'd hate Los Angeles - "it's too big, there's no culture, and everyone is expected to be glamorous." Well, yes it is big, but it's nonsense about the perceived lack of culture - some people are confused by the wide streets and big lawns into thinking it's bland suburbia when in fact it's anything but, there are interesting people, fabulous ethnic pockets, and amazing theater, poetry readings, art exhibits, you name it, you just have to know where to find it. As for the glamor part, well, that's probably true for movie people and real estate agents, but there are plenty of scruffy ol' hippy types like me and we get along just fine. But if you don't take to it, you don't - as you say, it's an individual choice. I like most cities (except Las Vegas) and, but for the weather, could move to, for instance, Edinburgh or Chicago in a heartbeat, but stick me in the middle of the countryside and I break out into a panic attack. I'm happy it's there for people who like it, though ...
Fascinating insight and I love the way you’ve approached this. I’m almost inspired to return one day and give it another shot with this fresh perspective. My head/heart/soul/whatever is way too ‘stuck’ in Europe I think!
That's very touching, Gabrielle, and very nicely put. I don't suffer from SAD, but I know others who do. Some plan their major holidays in the winter so they can escape to the sun. I'm not looking forward to winter… Yes, California is very appealing.
Thank you, Sheila, and, yes there was a reason why we quite carefully planned to hold our wedding in Los Angeles in February! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Currently experiencing my first UK autumn after 18 years of SoCal (Ventura County) falls and while I’ll miss the warm weather (not to mention chilling beachside in Ventura or the ‘Nard), I won’t miss the Santa Ana winds igniting vast swathes of the counties of Ventura and LA., nor everyone’s favourite utility, SoCal Edison, implementing a PSPS over Thanksgiving 🤬🤬🤬
Mar Vista? Pas mal… sandwiched between the 405 and Lincoln (handy cut through for the PCH and VC when the Freeways are jammed - not necessarily quicker but the views are better…) I’m near the Georgian market town of Holt in the Norfolk ANOB… about 3 miles from the coast - and yes the North Sea is as cold as it looks!
Looking forward to your next vignette - have a great turkey day!
Wow, Steve, an English winter after 18 years will be something of a culture shock, I'd think! Let me know how you get along - what took you back to England anyway?
Hi Gabrielle. Tbf we had a couple of years in Suisse Romandie (proper winters!) before being relocated to California and given climate change I’m hoping the English winters - while definitely colder than the VC - won’t be too much of a shock.
Why come back? There’s a myriad of reasons, but ultimately we could afford to retire early - no private medical insurance games or Medicare to navigate, having down-sized, homes are cheaper and our council tax is nowhere near as eye-watering as property tax! In addition, our Social Security and IRAs will go further here than back in SoCal (and once you’ve lived in California you could never move to another State).
Sure there’s things we’ll miss: Rabalais in Santa Paula, the late-lamented Reel Inn near Topanga Canyon on the PCH (here’s hoping they manage to rebuild) and the myriad of gigs and venues (and a shout out to The Echo on Sunset - even if the traffic on the 101 and 118 was always a nightmare…) in LA and environs. The Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena (we were members for years - every visit we’d discover something new) will be sorely missed… fortunately there’s 3 NT stately homes and gardens on our doorstep as compensation…
There were also lazy weekends in Avila and Cayucos, San Francisco at Christmas and the sepia-tinted charm of Pacific Grove… the fact there was a microbrewery not 500 ft from where I worked (allowing me to reintroduce that staple of the lunchtime pint on a Friday 🍻).
But we’ve over a hundred miles of unspoilt coastline on our doorstep, more pubs than you can shake a stick at and the fact that if I want to watch the football team I’ve supported since a kid I don’t have an 11,000 mile round trip!
And finally there’s seasons… gosh I’ve missed them…
Ah, a moment of silence for the Reel Inn! That all makes sense, Steve, and now that you mention it I do have a couple of other British and Irish friend who have retired and either returned there or are planning to. For myself, I can't imagine leaving LA unless for some reason I had to ... but aren't we lucky we have a choice?
Where about in LA are you? After all it’s really just 30-odd cities struggling for an identity 🤣 I could never live there, but loved it to bits - like most West (and tbf, East) Coast cities, it’s a joyous melting pot.
I’ve always said that living in Ventura County we were close enough to LA to pop-over any time, far enough away not to notice it…
We're in Mar Vista, a small community next to Venice but less pretentious than Venice has become (I always feel strange writing that - when we lived in Venice, it was gangland!) We love it here, it's funky and diverse and close to the Ocean, we're friends with our neighbors and there's a terrific Farmers Market on Sundays. What's not to love? Where in England are you? Apparently somewhere on the coast - we have very good friends in Hastings, which is apparently quite the scene these days ...
Loved this one! Sad but hopeful, and your description of the cool LA winters was just beautiful. Thank you! ♥️
Glad you liked it, Alice, and I hope you're having a good winter wherever you are!
Hi Gabrielle. Tbf we had a couple of years in Suisse Romandie (proper winters!) before being relocated to California and given climate change I’m expecting the English winter - while definitely colder than the VC - won’t be too much of a shock.
Why come back? There’s a myriad of reasons, but ultimately we could afford to retire early - no private medical insurance games or Medicare to navigate, having down-sized, homes are cheaper and our council tax is nowhere near as eye-watering as property tax! In addition, our Social Security and IRAs will go further here than back in the SoCal (and once you’ve lived in California you could never move to another State).
Sure there’s things we’ll miss: Rabalais in Santa Paula, the late-lamented Reel Inn near Topanga Canyon on the PCH (here’s hoping they manage to rebuild) and the myriad of gigs and venues (and a shout out to The Echo on Sunset - even if the traffic on the 101 and 118 was always a nightmare…) in LA and environs. The Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena (we were members for years - every visit we’d discover something new) will be sorely missed… fortunately there’s 3 NT stately homes and gardens on our doorstep as compensation…
There were also lazy weekends in Avila and Cayucos, San Francisco at Christmas and the sepia-tinted charm of Pacific Grove… the fact there was a microbrewery not 500 ft from where I worked (allowing me to reintroduce that staple of the lunchtime pint on a Friday 🍻).
But we’ve over a hundred miles of unspoilt coastline on our doorstep, more pubs than you can shake a stick at and the fact that if I want to watch the football team I’ve supported since a kid I don’t have an 11,000 mile round trip!
And finally there’s seasons… gosh I’ve missed them…