The Santa Ana Winds and Me

In one of my favorite movies, "The Holiday," the character, Miles, says, "Santa Ana winds...all bets are off...anything can happen"  and it is just that which I am hoping for next week when I venture to San Diego. 

Will the Staten Island Ferry get me there any faster than Continental from EWR?

The Santa Anas blow into Southern California beginning around October and ending around January.  These just so happen to also be my favorite months to visit So Cal.  Along with the warm wind that blows in to blanket the cool harbor nights, comes a feeling of preparation and renewal - a glimmer of hope in a city that I can't believe would ever need anymore glimmering.

When I go to San Diego, I get into the lifestyle.  I drive a convertible, which I would not dream of doing here in Jersey.  I drink tequila, straight, and lots of it.  I lay bac, chill out and get into the "hang ten" laid back Cali lifestyle.  I dress casually, in flip flops and white after Labor Day. I don't whine, complain, or worry.  And the entire time I'm there, I plan my return to the place where I can truly let loose

If my life wasn't so settled with family, friends, work, and school here in Jersey (the state that I love so much, I've got a necklace and several Jersey Royalty sweatshirts that blast my enanmourment of it emblazened in bling), I'd be on the first westbound 737 out of Newark with no return ticket. I would hope my vacation lifestyle in San Diego would be  similar to my daily lifestyle there, but worry that work, stress, traffic, and firestorms (the worst weather phenom in the SD area) would interupt my California Dreamin'.  But to me, even though I've been at a Chargers came when it was flurrying, it never rains in Southern California, so I'm going back to Cali, again and again and again and...