La Jolla
JULIO
After A few moths in NYC, we were certain that city and East Coast life was not for us, although we did enjoy Connecticut and hope to return soon for more. We had spent alot of time reconnecting with Christina's Family and friends, so it seemed only natural to return to California to do the same for my family and get some of that California love. We met in San Diego and lived there for many years together, so it is familiar and feels like home for us more than anywhere else. However, once you get traveling a strange sensation arrives where the sense of movement and travel itself becomes your home and you feel more comfortable when moving not staying anywhere to long.
What a relief to arrive into the relaxed and peaceful Southern Cal vibe after NYC. We were blessed to receive a great deal on place to stay just a few blocks from Windansea beach in La Jolla for the month. We immediately went for tacos and enjoyed the stunning views and savory Mexican food San Diego is famous for. It really felt nice to be back in such a beautiful place . However, there were so few people on the street and things were so quiet everywhere. It was a little weird at first.
La Jolla is not only a nice place to live but a great place to visit as a tourist. To walk La Jolla Cove and see the beach and seals is a perfect afternoon or morning activity. Going for a date night in one of its top tier restaurants and then going for a nightcap in one of its classic old bars like the Spot or Manhattan is certainly worthy. When the Kumeyaay natives were in charge of the land 3000 years prior, they called La Jolla “Kulaaxuuy” which translates to “land of holes”. This was taking on a unique new meaning for me.
My parents moved to La Jolla in 1983 from Manhattan escaping the grip of New York City life in the seventies, striving for a more hospitable place to raise a family. I have always been grateful for how pleasant it was to grow up in such a beautiful, safe and affluent place but now after seeing the world through a different lense from so much traveling, it was seeming a little too sleepy, privileged and homogenized.
Aside from being the location of my home Yoga studio Prana Yoga Center La Jolla I love the area for its mixed geology showcasing lush beaches, rocky shorelines and beautiful Mt. Soledad. As I walked the streets and visited old haunts it became an exercise in personal nostalgia reminding me of some not so great teenage years, family dramas and personal experiences that were not so fun to re-live.
As I walked the vacant streets I kept superimposing the chaos of Indian road traffic or a European plaza and I couldn't help but wonder, where are all the people? Is this what money buys you in the United States, simply to be left alone in your house with no common areas with exception to malls and grocery stores? Although I had once fantasized about returning to live in La Jolla when the accounts allowed, that dream was slowly slipping away as it seemed like a relic of the past and no longer present or future for that matter.
We did enjoy walking to our favorite coffee spots, reveling in the delicious Mexican food and amazing weather. It seemed at first as though we had reunited with our long lost home but it didn't take long for us to miss traveling and the exciting feeling of building our dreams from abroad. We did enjoy some pleasant family time and reconnecting with friends but the road was calling us back and soon we would re embark. Christina's Birthday was right around the corner after our arrival so I set up a surprise trip to nearby Catalina Island for us to have a mini getaway celebration.
FOOD FACTS: California is the world's 5th largest supplier of food, cotton fiber and other agricultural commodities. California is the largest producer of food in the U.S. yet has less than 4% of the farms in the U.S. The unique Mediterranean climate allows us to grow over 450+ different crops