California Culture

The anticipation was rising as we crossed over the mountains that separated the Imperial Valley and San Diego. After a week-long journey, we finally were reaching California. In a matter of days, the final destination of Los Angeles would arrive, but coming to San Diego was an important milestone in this trip. Not only was it our first stop in the state I will be living in, but it is also the first encounter of the culture as well. It has been seven years since I last stepped foot in the Golden State, but I distinctly remember that I had never seen a place quite like it, before or since.

However, before we arrived at the mild climates of Carlsbad (a suburb of San Diego), we had to drive through the desert of Western Arizona and Southeastern California. You want to talk about HOT! 112 degrees was the high in that region of the country. Despite the heat, I was amazed that people still rose crops in that area. The irrigation techniques are stellar enough that even in the hot, dry desert sun, crops such as corn and other vegetables can still be grown.

As we were driving by this scenery, I knew that the coast would be drastically different. It made me think about the Spanish explorers who discovered California. They couldn’t zoom past the desert in a Mercury Sable like I did. Horseback was the mode of transportation used to get the conquistadors from Point A to Point B. However, in the face of uncertainty and peril of dying of thirst, they still managed to find the verdant West Coast. I would believe it if they gave the Pacific Ocean its name, not because of the nature of the water, but the relief they felt when they arrived on the coast.

You could paint this as a metaphor for life (like I always do!) and compare how everyone’s journey has a leg they would call their dry spell. When someone goes through a dry spell, it seems impossible to concentrate on anything except the heat that is bearing down on you. Pressure does the same thing. Pressure often gets to the point to where it decreases your effectiveness. Prior to this trip, the past year was one I look back on as not a career-building one, but one of character-building. I got grit. I was able to get some work, which could be comparable to the vegetation that was seen in the desert, but as far as being where I want to be, I have some work to do. But, now that I’m aiming to reach the verdant coastline, this year of preparation has made me ready for the desert that may lay ahead of me.

One final excerpt. As BJ and I began to walk to the beach from my car, a young lady commented on my Mississippi license plate. She said “You guys drove a long way!” We acknowledged this and explained that I was moving out to California. She smiled and said, “Welcome.” Such friendly people. I think I’m going to like it here.