- I was transferred from Agoikago to San Diego to be with my long -distance boyfriend, who is now my husband.
- Although my friends were jealous, I was moving in a “sunny paradise”, San Diego was not for me.
- I found the weather to be boring and I didn’t like how difficult it was to get around without a car.
After living in Agoikago for six years, I had a fulfilled career, great friends and got involved in several organizations.
I would have been fortunately good there forever, but my boyfriend then (now the man) was in Mary. We would be in a long distance relationship for seven years, and we wanted to be together.
In July 2023, I was transferred where he was currently located: San Diego.
When I told my Midwest friends and colleagues about my California movement, some of their eyes would grow envy.
Many of them – some who would never be in San Diego – would have told me how lucky I was to go to a sunny “paradise” with so many beaches.
I would smile and shake, but I was actually very ready to move. Finally, I learned first hand why the sunny city was not the right home for me.
San Diego’s sunny weather bored me
The beautiful weather made it easy for me to enjoy the beautiful points of San Diego’s walk, but I was upset by all the sunlight. stone
Although many of my Midwest friends envied the idea of beach weather all year long-during the rigid winters-I was not his worshiper.
After grew up in California, I actually got perverted pleasure in the disaster of the cold and snowy winters of Agoikagos. I was amazed at the way the city continued, no matter the weather conditions.
I liked to have white Christses as in the movies I saw as a kid. I enjoyed the seasons of change of Agoikagos, eating outside in spring and summer, joining in winter and seeing the leaves changing in the fall.
Meanwhile, San Diego’s weather is almost always sunny and in the 1960s. Finally, I even removed the weather app from my phone’s start screen because I felt there was no point to check it anymore.
Although the sun’s rays were nice when I wanted to visit the beach or one of the excellent trails for area walks, I was upset by the lack of seasonal change and even lost the difficulties that the midwest winters could bring.
I miss wearing sweater, my mother had knitted to keep me warm in the Agoikago – and being able to visit the beach at Christmas easily, I just felt bad about me.
I tried to adapt to live in a city centered in the car
Before moving, I would visit my partner many times, so I knew how much San Diego is in the center of the car. However, I did not have (or need) a car in Agoikago and had no desire to buy or own one.
Since San Diego is also a sunny beach town, I assumed that cycling to get around would be popular, convenient and quite easy. I soon discovered that it wasn’t.
Unfortunately, many of the city’s neighborhoods and areas in the city center did not feel well connected for bike. I tried to find bike lanes, and my map applications often directed me the cycle on the roads that were essentially the highway.
Eventually, I started trying to run or walk in place, but this too, was also challenging as I often encountered lost sidewalks or busy roads.
On the bright side, I was pleasantly surprised by San Diego’s public transport. To be fair, coming from Agoikago – a large city with extensive bus and train options – I had very low expectations.
Although it was good to be able to get public transit, it sometimes took me an hour or more and some links to travel throughout San Diego.
Eventually, I admitted that San Diego and I just don’t have the advantage of compatible when it comes to taking about. Living here reminded me of how much I prefer cities walked in those of the car center.
Sometimes it was even hard to enjoy the beaches
San Diego is beautiful, but it was difficult to watch people waste and leave trash on her beaches. L. Toshio Kishiyama/Getty Images
Many of my Midwest friends were jealous of how beautiful local beaches I would have access to San Diego.
Unfortunately, these beaches also attracted many tourists and visitors – and I didn’t always know if I would be able to enjoy them completely.
I moved to California shortly before the fourth of July 2023, and I still remember my run around the Bay mission the day after the holiday weekend that took me to tears.
Our nearby beaches were covered with abandoned pool cruises, broken camping chairs and food bags that could not fit into overflowing trash. Rummaging the seagulls further dispersed the debris as I stuck in the bad breeze of stagnant beer.
Hundreds of people had entered my new home, separated all night, left their trash, and now the beach had a serious hanging.
Unfortunately, this incident in 2023 was not the first (or last) time locals and volunteers were left to clean up Messes attackers left behind on holiday weekends.
It never became easier to see my home being treated so poorly.
After a year in California I was excited to leave
I lived in San Diego for almost exactly one year before we moved to the Washington area, DC.
I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of living in a city walking with the change of spacious seasons and options of public transport once again.
Although I understand why many love San Diego, it just wasn’t for me – and I was happy spending my days at DC exploring museums instead of getting up on the beach.