Living Life in California

               A person can change physically, mentally and emotionally sometime in their life.  One night, I overheard my parents talking to each other about moving somewhere far away from Virginia because they don’t like the environment there.  I can barely understand Tagalog, but I get the idea on what they’re talking about: we’re going to move to California.  I have mix emotions of excitement and anxiousness.  I was a little excited because I’ve always wanted to move to California.  A lot of my friends say California is an awesome place to live.  But I’m also anxious because I was afraid I won’t be able to make new friends there, as much as I hate to admit it.  Before I moved here, I don’t know why but I sometimes get this idea that people from California are not welcoming to people from the east coast.  Throughout my life, I moved around a lot, which is a normal thing as a military brat.  But this particular move really changed me, surprisingly.  I can’t really explain why or how, but when I moved here, I suddenly became a better person.

When I moved to California, I became free from stress. I was stress-free because of the weather is always sunny and I’ve always hated cloudy or rainy weather.  With this sunny weather, I go outside more often compared to the other pIaces I’ve lived in.  I had a fun time because there are so many things to do here and many cities to explore.  I’ve met a lot of new people here and they’re much better than the ones back in Virginia and the Philippines.  These friends I’ve made are the ones I can rely on, talk to and bond with whenever I feel down.  When I’m having a hard time in school, there are always there to help me out, and there are there to motivate me and get me back on my feet.  With my friends around, I have confidence to get through all my subjects.  Back then, I wasn’t really responsible in my academics like I am now.  I used to be lazy and unmotivated enough to get decent grades I expected to have.  But when I moved here, I became more responsible in my academics, my GPA has improved significantly and the teachers here were nicer.  Unlike in the Philippines, they’re subjects are way too advanced for me and teachers are busy and I have to be on my own.  I felt really happy being here and I’m so glad I don’t have to move anymore.

               When I got to California, I felt ecstatic by the view and sounds.  There’s nothing like this back in Virginia.  There are so many places to go to and many tourist spots.  The streets are crowded but people here are full of life.  When I arrived to the streets of Los Angeles, The first thing I hear is the mariachi band.  I hear musicians playing some classical songs and everyone around them is having a good time.  I also see some street performers and attractions such as “walking statues”, some celebrity doppelgangers, singers, and musicians.  I also walked around the streets of Hollywood and the view is breath-taking; I came to California at night and I see some beautiful lighted-up buildings, somewhat similar to Las Vegas.   The streets are filled with expensive restaurants, advertising themselves with beautiful colored lights and busy waiters fulfilling customers’ orders.  There are also many places to eat, hang out, kill some time, etc.  California has so many beautiful beaches here too, every weekend I always go to the beach with my friends and go boogie boarding.  The water is cold but in perfect temperature, the sand is soft, I can sleep on the sand all day. 

People in California are very nice and interesting to hang out with.  I always try to convince myself that people here are decent and they’re much nicer than I anticipated.  Everyone is so relaxed and mellow; they don’t care what’s going on around them.  People here won’t tolerate drama with other people or to each other.  Whenever someone starts talking about them behind their backs, they simply brush them off their shoulders.  I hanged out with so much that I’ve adapted to their personality.  Back then, I don’t really care about what people think of me, but they sometimes know how to push my buttons.  I used to get mad really easily, and some conflict being made between me and my friends.    However, there are a few problems going on when I was about to move here.  It’s hard for me to say good bye to my friends and relatives, leaving them behind.  What’s even worse is that I won’t be able to see them again.  But I’m fine with that, because many close friends come and go.  This is one of the things that changed me; whenever friends leave, it’s time for me to let go.

               Moving to California has to be one of the greatest decisions my parents ever made.  Not only have I changed, but my family changed as well.  My mom and dad have found jobs that fit their interest, and my sister has been going out a lot instead of staying in her room.  California is full of happiness and excitement.  There are so many activities to do here, and for once I was really happy.  I haven’t been this happy since I was living in Japan.  I was confident in my academics, I became more active than I was back then, I became more independent, and I was looking forward to a lot of things like traveling, meeting up with old friends, etc.  I finally found place where I belong.