I enjoy living in Los Angeles. No, really.
While I was in San Francisco this weekend and last weekend, several people expressed their sympathy concerning how miserable I am in Los Angeles. This was somewhat surprising; as far as I knew I've actually been quite happy living in Los Angeles. It's been almost three years, and in that time I've accumulated an assortment of interesting friends both in and out of work and a selection of favorite haunts to visit in my free time, making the Los Angeles experience far more enjoyable than it once was.
Don't misunderstand me: living in San Francisco would be preferable, and certain aspects of living here could be improved, and I miss a great many things about living in the San Francisco Bay Area, but on the whole both socially and professionally it's a positive and enjoyable experience. It might surprise some people to learn that if I moved back to San Francisco I would miss what Los Angeles has provided me: improved professional contacts and organizations, VES events, the Arclight, M's, Bharat Bazaar, the Getty Museum, Sawtelle Avenue's "Little Osaka" ghetto, etc. It's true that I'm sometimes cranky and irritable, but my crankiness and irritability are usually not related to Los Angeles living and can be expected to persist independent from where I am living. It's possible my concerned and sympathetic San Francisco friends are confusing my Los Angeles experience with Montreal, where due to weather, language barriers, a limited circle of friends, limited professional contacts, decreased mobility, and less optimal living arrangements I really *was* miserable in a way that gave me greater appreciation for all the things that Los Angeles and San Francisco provides me.
So for the record I enjoy living in Los Angeles, and I anticipate continuing to enjoy living here until I once again have the opportunity to enjoy living in San Francisco. I appreciate your sympathy, but it is unwarranted at this time.
Don't misunderstand me: living in San Francisco would be preferable, and certain aspects of living here could be improved, and I miss a great many things about living in the San Francisco Bay Area, but on the whole both socially and professionally it's a positive and enjoyable experience. It might surprise some people to learn that if I moved back to San Francisco I would miss what Los Angeles has provided me: improved professional contacts and organizations, VES events, the Arclight, M's, Bharat Bazaar, the Getty Museum, Sawtelle Avenue's "Little Osaka" ghetto, etc. It's true that I'm sometimes cranky and irritable, but my crankiness and irritability are usually not related to Los Angeles living and can be expected to persist independent from where I am living. It's possible my concerned and sympathetic San Francisco friends are confusing my Los Angeles experience with Montreal, where due to weather, language barriers, a limited circle of friends, limited professional contacts, decreased mobility, and less optimal living arrangements I really *was* miserable in a way that gave me greater appreciation for all the things that Los Angeles and San Francisco provides me.
So for the record I enjoy living in Los Angeles, and I anticipate continuing to enjoy living here until I once again have the opportunity to enjoy living in San Francisco. I appreciate your sympathy, but it is unwarranted at this time.