So it's been a couple weeks since we moved to "The Valley". The first couple morning commutes were rough, I must admit. I think that a person can only prepare themselves so much for sitting in dead stopped traffic for an hour+ with no indication on how long you will be sitting there. Until you actually make the drive, you just can't comprehend it.
However, in the two weeks that I have been living over the hill, I have completely converted! Call me a Valley Girl! I know it's probably too soon for me to make such a blanket statement, but as intense as the driving situation and the heat may be up there, every night when I drive home and come up over the mountain, I feel this sigh of relief come over me. The air feels fresher, the trees are bigger and dare I say the people are happier? There is a sense of calm I feel living just a bit removed from such a big city. Not to mention, the drive is not exactly ALL that terrible.
This morning I took Topanga Canyon to work. I spent the first 30 minutes of my drive weaving through a massive mountain range and peering over giant cliffs that resemble something out of Jurassic Park. At the end of my windy journey I arrived head on with the Pacific Ocean. The next 20 minutes of my journey was spent driving from Malibu to Santa Monica along the Pacific Coast Highway between the Mountains and the Ocean. Next I turned onto the 10 Freeway and after minutes saw an expansive view of all of Los Angeles. I could see Century City all the way to the Hollywood Hills in the background, including what may have been a glimpse of the Hollywood sign. And then I arrived at work only one short hour later. Now that is not a bad drive for a morning commute. Most people who would visit LA would take that drive just to experience it and I am fortunate enough to take that drive every day.
So if driving from the Valley can be such a religious experience, then why do so many detest the thought of moving even one mile out of "Los Angeles". I must admit, for four years I myself didn't even consider the move because of the "painful commutes", "scorching heat" and distance from precious Los Angeles. Then I actually started to explore the Valley. I just told you what I learned about the commute. In terms of the heat; it's not so bad. It's not unbearable heat. It's just hot. But guess what...it should be hot, this is California! How many summers do I have to experience that are just lukewarm. That's not summer. And I'm sorry, you haven't experienced summer till you have done a summer on the East Coast. California doesn't have humidity so it's not a hot where you can't breathe. It's just a nice warmth. Personally I love it! And this morning when I walked outside, it wasn't hot at all, rather it was crisp and cool and fall was in the air. As a girl from Michigan, I personally miss the fall weather badly. Is there something so wrong about experiencing a little bit of the seasons? I think Los Angeles people become bland because they don't experience seasons. Without change, you just walk through life like a zombie. Mix it up!
Furthermore, even though it may take me a little longer to get home, when I'm there everything is so convenient that I can do all my errands and get home early enough to spend some time with my family. In the end isn't that what we resent about a long commute in the first place? It's the delay from getting home. But what is the point of being closer to home if you have to spend all night sitting in Los Angeles traffic just to get to the mall or the grocery store? Who wants to drive around in circles looking for parking at 8pm because you have to run into Nordstrom to get mascara to go to work in the morning. It's ridiculous!
Big city life can be attractive and exciting. There is definitely a feeling of awe living in the thick of a big beautiful city where you never know what's around the corner. But at a certain point, sometimes you have to take a hard look at what your life is really like in that city and what you are sacrificing to be there. I don't just mean that if you move a half hour out you can upgrade your home by 1000sq ft. But what is your routine like? Personally, I don't go out after work. I want to get errands done, go home, make dinner, clean up, watch some TV and go to bed. Now I feel like I can actually do that and the enjoy the city on weekends.
Sure, for a price there are certain conveniences that come along with living in a big city. If you want, you can have your laundry done, house cleaned, food prepared, car washed and waiting for you, dog walked...but how modern is that style of living? (and can you really not have that everywhere now) Twenty years ago, if you weren't a physical presence in a specific location then you couldn't take advantage of it's resources. However, today, you just need a computer. Take Etsy for example. I have a new shop and I have made a few sales. My first sale was to a woman in Australia. (well my first sale was to my mom, but humor me!) My most recent sale was to a woman in Georgia. If it were 1991 these two women could go a lifetime without ever shopping in the same location simply because of logistics. Now, there are no limits.
So if we now have the resources to experience whatever we want, then isn't where you live more an issue of comfort than convenience? If you like to cook, you need a proper kitchen to do so. If you are crafty like me, then you need a space to house the tools, the materials, and the sewing machine so that they are accessible to you. Modern living should mean doing what makes sense for you and not what seems popular or trendy.
I'm sure there will be a moment in my commute tonight where I scream inside my car out of pure traffic frustration, but then I will come over that hill and see all the lights of my new city resting inside the valley between the mountain ranges and I will know that I am home!
Happy Homing!
