Things We Will Miss

They finally announced the job opening at my workplace, which allows me to actually speak about my leaving! It's such a relief. We have gotten the chance to see lots of friends this past weekend and announce our departure. It's very bittersweet. While we are super psyched to be headed somewhere totally beautiful, and looking forward to our year of fun, we are also very nostalgic about Los Angeles and all the wonderful friends and family we will be leaving behind. Just a sampler of things I will miss:

1. The Hollywood Farmer's Market: this is our church! We'll have to find a new routine on Sunday mornings.

2. Latin food - the restaurants, and Northgate in Boyle Heights and the Amapola in Paramount. Where am I going to get masa preparada por tamales in Bend?

3. Warm weather. I spent a good portion of my life in Chicago, so my 9 years in LA hasn't been quite enough to erase the nightmare that is winter. I will miss the constant sunshine and 75 degree days, year round.

4. Asian food, and the Asians here in general. They give me a sense of anonymity that I won't have in Bend...where there are less than 1,000 Asians.

5. The diversity of the beauty here. I really love that people in SoCal take care of themselves and present the best version of themselves that they can possibly be, and that there are millions of different kinds of beautiful here. I like this lesson of living up to your maximum potential. And I appreciate the aesthetics of it.

Oh, Los Angeles. I'm glad we're going out while we still love it here, rather than when we're sick of it.