10 Things I miss about living in LA

I'll be honest, overall, both Joel and I (and Leo) have honestly loved our move back to Illinois. The feeling of being "home" is something that I missed in LA every year we were there. I like having my family rooted and have not one single regret about our move. Although...while I don't have any regrets...I have started to look back on our time in LA and collect things that I really, really miss. Some things, I miss because nostalgia has set in, but either way, this was a fun list (in no particular order) to come up and think fondly back on our life back in California.

1. Not ever thinking about the weather - and, I have to preface this because I'm sure my California friends will call me out on this but I actually didn't love the constant 75 and sunny weather of California. I longed for crisp, fall days, thunderstorms, and blizzards that closed school and work BUT - I did take for granted how you really could depend on the weather in California. Having an outside wedding shower? Not a care in the world. Planning a trip to the zoo on Sunday.....cool. Here - you always need a back up plan and that does get annoying. 

 2. Hiking - The sport in general doesn't exist here because there is no where near to actually hike. I miss the beauty and the views hikes 15 minutes from our house offered. Plus, it was a solid workout, outside, that really refreshed my soul in a way I didn't really realize until the option was no longer.



3. Not being official grown ups - Now that we own a house and live in the suburbs, I do feel like we've really - and I mean this in a pretty lame way - grown up. Not that Joel and I have ever really been "willy nilly", but, we have adopted some real old people habits since moving here - like staying in most nights, going to bed really early, and spending most of our weekends doing house things and shopping at home depot. 

4. Fresh Brothers - I know we are in pizza territory here in Chicago, but I miss Fresh Brothers every single weekend! 

5. Celebrity Sightings - A little tongue in cheek, but it was really fun to run into Victoria Beckham at Soul Cycle or walk down the street with Jamie Foxx or run a 5k with Ben and Jen. That aint happening any time soon here! 



6. Lunch with Joel during the week - And if this was Joel's list, he would say his commute. In LA, Joel worked 10 minutes from our house, and Leo and I would meet him every Wednesday to have lunch in the garden at The Montage in Beverly Hills. It was a fun outing for all of us, and something that we all looked forward to each week. Joel's commute here is at least 40 minutes, and that's just too long and there is no beautiful garden at the Montage near his office! 

7. Bouginvillas - There is nothing more beautiful and vibrant and they bring me so many California memories.

8. Santa Barbara - I really miss our day trips up to Santa Barbara. It was our favorite little home away from home and whenever we had a free Saturday we would take the dog and the baby up for a day of beautiful walks, great easy lunches, and tons of relaxing wineries that we would just sit at and catch up. 



9. Walking....most everywhere - I do miss the ability to walk 3 blocks up the road and have a great grocery store and coffee shop right there....a few more blocks and ending up in Westwood Village where I could pop in and out of stores, stop at Target, or pick up lunch. The vastness of my options of things to do was just so much bigger and while I did take advantage of it while we lived there, I SO wish that came with us here.

10.  Our friends - I really can't think about LA without thinking about all of the people we left behind. Especially my tight girlfriends. It's going to take years to recreate those kind of friendships here in Crystal Lake, and that breaks my heart a little. We all still stay in close touch, sometimes every day, but there is a big, big, gap in my life without them....no doubt of that. 

And the reality is, I could come up with many more things that I miss. And an entire list of things I don't. 

We knew what we were giving up and gaining when we moved, and more than anything, I'm glad to have all of it under my list of experiences lived.