@darrenmiller6927

5 days ago

I'm in Santa Cruz California. Grew up in Sunnyvale, lived in Palo Alto, Santa Clara, etc. Been here in santa Cruz since 1999, had family responsibilities and would commute to Menlo Park and Palo Alto, I worked 2 jobs 7 days a week, from Calpitola. Had to move here after my mother's husband died to help her with rent, my brother lives in Maine and my sister lives in Washington state. I was close by in the Bay Area and we made a deal because we would not have our mother renting from a stranger. Mom went up and lived with my sister and her family in 2006 and I stayed in Santa Cruz. I love it here. I lived in Portland when I was 20 back in 1985. San Francisco was all our city in the '80's and 90's. All that to say I'm a west coast boy all the way. My favorite cities used to be Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, San Diego, and especially San Francisco. San Francisco was all our city in Northern California. They destroyed my city, Portland and Seattle too. This broke my heart. This has ripped my soul. I don't know how much longer I can stay here. California has become something I don't recognize any more, meaning the cities. Went to lunch with friends and he showed me pictures of his kids and grandkids in Arizona. We talked about moving there, again. They are going this summer again, he and his girlfriend, as they do every summer. I'm going to try and go with them next summer as I just started a new job 3 weeks ago. Im gonna go and see if i want to move there. One the girls I grew up with and i often talk about moving to other states. My other close friend has family in Oaxaca, Mexico and he has property there and we talk about moving there. Thank you for your insights about Texas, I'm just finishing up a letter to friends out there and am seriously thinking about Texas. Thing is a lot of us are thinking about and or planning on leaving California. Don't get me wrong I'm greatful to live in Santa Cruz, beautiful beaches rewood forests, the Pacific coast highway, West Cliff, Calitola, etc. Me and one of the girls I grew up with from the old neighborhood talk about moving, then about sticking it out then about moving again. I think about Tennessee, Florida too. You guys it can get real wierd here now days. I feel like my Westcoast has been stolen from me. They destroyed our cities man! You guys couldn't believe what a cool, beautiful fun city San Francisco used to be! Sorry guys, maybe I just needed to get that out. The only ones who seem to wanna stay here have this bizarre Trump dirangement deal or are literally communists. Perfectly normal looking people talk the craziest bunch of crap you wouldn't believe. A few people still wear masks, it's disturbing. You see people wearing their covid masks driving alone in their car! You want to live any where near people that mentally ill? Most people are super cool here. I'm an artist, and we have huge, surfer, artist, and musician communities here. Sorry to ramble you guys, but we got some real loony, seriously mentally ill people. A mask while your driving alone in your car!?!? Seriously disturbing. I figure I'll check out places, vacation, and keep praying about it. This is a one year job, and I can start stashing away some more money. I'll be 60 years old in October and I never thought I'd leave the west coast. Realistically I'm considering a 3 year plan. I hate moving. I've been in a great studio on the West Side right near downtown Santa Cruz. Truth? Part of me resents being driven off my West Coast.

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