'You can check-out anytime you like....'

My friend Jeff just returned home to Michigan after two weeks kicking back in Laguna Beach, California. He said the weather was great; the sunsets over the ocean were, too. I am sure it was an adjustment for him to return home in more ways than the climate.

I am very familiar with California. Between my ages of 14-20; four years were spent in California. I spent two years in high school there; later two years of college. There can be little doubt a good part of my spirit was formed there. I might live in Pennsylvania now, but if asked where I most-closely 'identify with;' I would probably quickly answer, 'California.'

Our family had been living in Nebraska; we had only been there for two years. My dad originally got 'orders' to take us to Grand Forks, North Dakota per his request for transfer. When he first told us there was a collective family 'gasp.' We were okay with Nebraska; North Dakota seemed to be a 'step back.' We had lived in the northern Virginia suburbs of DC before we headed to Nebraska. We all liked it in Alexandria, Virginia; tolerated Omaha. North Dakota?

I don't know whose arm he twisted, what connections he may have 'tweaked;' but, somehow dad got the 'orders' changed. Instead of North Dakota; we were headed to California! There was a collective family WOO HOO! Many thanks to dad!

That road trip was awesome. I was old enough to remember it very well. We headed west towards Scottsbluff, NE then took some road up through the western sandhills of Nebraska into South Dakota. We were on our way to see Mount Rushmore. Then into Wyoming on our way to Yellowstone; through Jackson Hole; and into and across Idaho. I was born in Boise. Mom and Dad wanted me to see what it was like.

We left Idaho across and through a small part of western Oregon; then into Nevada. We stopped for the night near Reno. We all really liked it. Mom and dad liked the slots. My sister and I liked all the lights.

We left Reno and headed west on I-80 into the Sierras. We exited at the 'Tahoe/Truckee' exit. The month was July. There was snow on nearby mountains as we passed the 'Welcome to Califonia/Golden State' sign. As we wound our way through the mountains and 'cleared' a pass a lake became visible surrounded by the snow-capped peaks. As a young teen I could only think, 'WOW.' This is NOT NEBRASKA. wink

It was incredibly beautiful; and not the 'California' I expected to find. I found the ocean; the beaches and the incredible sunset vistas later. My dad had orders to a cool base in the western foothills of the Sierras in northern California north of Sacramento; that's where we would settle for another two years.

The base was very cool. The 'flight-line' was down in the valley; the housing five miles away in the hills. The climate was mild at our house during the winter; yet we could drive 15 miles into the mountains 'behind' us and get to the 'snow line.' Our house was an hour and a half from stunningly beautiful Lake Tahoe; little more than two hours to San Francisco.

The first time I was ever in San Francisco was as a young teen travelling with my family from our home in the Sierra foothills. We were on our way to visit old family friends in, what was then a 'sleepy little town'south of SF named Sunnyvale. Funny that it became the center of a whole new universe.

I will never forget crossing the Bay Bridge from Oakland. The bridge is a steel-cantilever structure until it gets to Yerba Buena Island. The bi-level freeway passes into a tunnel. When you emerge from the tunnel onto the suspension portion of the bridge the skyline of San Francisco is RIGHT THERE, on the right. It really is one of America's finest scenes; one I will never forget.

I like California very much and believe strongly in the words of the song....

'You can check-out anytime you like....but you can never leave.'

Jeff knows what I mean; I'm sure many others do, too.

Hope all's well with everyone.

The sun's feeling like Spring here.

I hope where you are, too.