I love my adopted state best, even on the days when I complain about it.  If I had it all to do over again I would still fall in love with North Dakota (indeed, my love affair with the state may be the most enduring one I have known).  Still, so much of my history remains in California – years of memories and mischief…years of relationships and friendships…years of who I was and who I have become.

It is always interesting when I return to California and am reminded of what life was like in that state.  I always walk away from the experience with a feeling of confirmation that I am so happy to now be a North Dakotan (even if the state may be reticent to claim me as its own, I am enthusiastically waving the banner).  Sure California has great weather, thousands of things to do and is one of the most diverse and lively states in the country; but it also has smog, high crime rates, a lot of congestion, lesser connectivity amongst its citizenry and is an expensive place to live.  Yet despite all those things people continue to flock to California – apparently, in the scales of life beaches and sunshine outweigh smog and crime.   Who would have thunk?

My brother and his family remain in California – Southern California to be exact (which is distinguishable from Central and Northern California as natives will tell you).  I try and visit them as often as I can, but because of all the upheaval of the past year I have not been able to get out to visit since last September.  But today I will become at one with California again – at least for a week.  I will enjoy seeing my family and friends and I will frolic in the sunshine.  It promises to be one of my typical Cali visits, which tend to be anything but typical.

So this next week I will be blogging from the West Coast and with any luck will be able to feature photographic evidence of a visit well-enjoyed.   Of course, I will be representin’ North Dakota while in Cali so keep an eye on the major news channels for stories about the wild North Dakotan causing mayhem in Cali. Of course, all the proper law enforcement officials have been put on notice and I have a bail bondsman on speed dial – us North Dakotans know how to handle silly little challenges like this.  And don’t worry, I won’t be inviting Arnold back to the state to visit – I’ll be back in a week, but he won’t. 😉

Day seven hundred and sixty-two of the new forty – obla di obla da

Ms. C