Top 10 of So Cal

Top 10 Things I'll miss about So Cal:

1) Never worrying to check the weather before heading out the door - because 90% of the time it's either sunny or partly cloudy
2) Being able to run in shorts and a tank top in November!
3) The convenience of being able to pick from 5 Targets, 2 Walmart, 3 Trader Joes, etc to do my shopping at-all within a few miles of each other! (but just maybe it's a little bit of an overkill don't you think?)
4) In Long Beach-being one block away from the ocean!
5) The variety of food and restaurant choices
6) Leaving our windows open...the entire year long!
7) Being able to surf, swim, and boogie board in the ocean without feeling like your toes will freeze off.
8) Using my 1st grade Spanish, that may have graduated to 2nd grade Spanish at the Medical Clinic.
9) The memories, laughs, support, and "family" that I've made with other nurses on 2Main- "the Orthopedic/Neuro/Whatever-else-the hospital-doesn't-have-room-for-Floor"
10) The runs, laughs, memories, and good times I've had with friends I've made from all of Tobin's classmates

Top 10 Things I won't miss about So Cal:

1) Driving on the Crazy Freeways!
2) Breathing in smog laden air
3) Seeing views of only skyscrapers, cement, and buildings
4) In Pomona, Fearing for my life every time I went outside.
5) The fact that I can never wear my sweaters or down jacket
6) That everything shuts down and everyone stays inside with a slight "drizzle" here
7) Only being able to see one star in the sky at night. Oh wait, that's the moon I see...so pretty much seeing no stars at night
8) The price of rent and living in general
9) The constant sounds of cars, trains, traffic, machines, etc
10) Needing to drive hours to "get out of town"

Top 10 Things I've learned in So Cal:

1) Leaving just a mere 10 minutes later could mean an extra 30 minutes in commute time, due to traffic.
2) The best time to drive on the freeways is on Saturday and Sundays between 6-8am, after that who knows!
3) To get anywhere you have to be an aggressive driver; it's the only way to survive!
4) People keep their cars VERY clean and washed around here...and I secretly think it's because they almost live in them, they feel better when the car looks good!
5) So Cal looks at Oregonians as very remote, forest loving, slow paced individuals...even those from Portland, and believe me, even compared with Portland the pace down here is fast!
6) From a good friend, "If you hear gunshots, Hit the deck!"...instead of what I did-look out the window. Thank you Boom!!
7) The definition of "cold" apparently is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
8) To survive here you don't "cook" because life is too "busy" instead you either go out all the time or cook quick dinners.
9) Driving anywhere more than 15 minutes is considered "Far!"
10) Interstates or Highways are NOT called I-5, I-10, because you'd be saying "I" way to often. Instead the lingo is: "The 10, to the 57, to the 60, to the 55, to the 71, to the 710, to the 605, to the 91, to the 215, to the 15." And you must know the difference between all these to get anywhere!