Thirty years ago, I left California. And each time I return, I’m a tourist in my old life.
Huntington Beach: My last apartment. A thousand empty wine bottles.
Petaluma: Repurposed mills; gentrified commerce. On the corner, a lone protester. The air thick with garlic and weed.
The Redwoods: Tallest trees on Earth. Reminders of our insignificance.
Morro Bay: sea otters groaning, lilacs blooming. Fish-shaped cookies and free coffee refills.
Maybe it’s tarnished, this Golden State—yet still, the pangs of nostalgia. And as I leave California in the smoggy rearview of memory, I whisper: yes, I could live here again.
I’ll feature a longer version of this road trip, and all the food involved in an upcoming issue of Cook & Tell, my bi-monthly foodletter. Interested? Subscribe for free!
It’s been almost 40 years since I left CA, and I share your sentiments. I love tourist in my old life. I might borrow that. 🙂
I grew up in Texas. I left for Tennessee, my youngest brother left for San Diego, and my oldest brother for NY City.
Last time I visited Texas was in 2010, I said then that would be my last trip and it was.
I would to visit my brother in Baha, California, but I didn’t sign up for the ID that allows me to fly domestically.
The world I grew up in has changed. And freedom to travel is no longer a thing.
Your pictures are beautiful. California is a beautiful place. Nice place to visit.