Back in Bridgeport

Leaving Los Angeles was very difficult. I loved it there.

There are so many reasons why I’d highly recommend living in LA. I’d be happy to offer some of them to anyone who’s considering making the move. LA’s not perfect though. Not even close. As tough as it was to say goodbye to the City of Angels, I knew there was plenty of things to look forward to once I arrived here.

I’ve compiled a list of nine reasons why I’m happy to be back. These are in no particular order. I’m sure I forgot something, so feel free to remind me in the comments.

1. Friends and Family — While living on the other side of the country, I made the trip back just once or twice a year, meaning I’d go months without seeing my parents and brother. I now see them every day. Along with the immediate family, I’m now able to run into friends who previously only saw when their picture showed up on my Facebook news feed.
2. Seasons — The weather in Los Angeles is pretty close to flawless. It’s 70 and sunny, almost every day. What could you possibly complain about? Actually, there is something — a lack of seasons. Well, technically there are seasons; Angelenos bust out their mittens and scarves for that 55 degree chill that comes through for a day or two in February, it rains quite a bit in December and there’s this thing called “June Gloom,” which just means it’s a little cloudy when you wake up on a June morning. While I say I miss seasons, what I really mean is I miss spring and fall. LA’s made me a weather wimp. This little heatwave we just experienced has me counting down the days to fall. Thankfully, I have plenty of time to mentally prepare for snow and winter. I need it.
3. No More Earthquakes — There isn’t much that can mentally prepare you for the ground shaking under your feet. In the six years I lived in LA, I experienced around 10 earthquakes. I never got used to it. You know what’s just as uncomfortable as earthquakes? Conversations about earthquakes right after one has occurred. After a quake, everyone in LA turns into a seismologist ready to talk your ear off with their wealth of knowledge on earthquakes.
4. Pizza — From fancy upscale dining to hot dogs wrapped in bacon sold out of shopping carts in the street, LA is heaven for food lovers. However, there is one item that LA just can’t seem to figure out. I’m talking about pizza. I’m not saying there aren’t any good pizza places in LA, there just aren’t that many. Walk into any mom and pop pizzeria in Los Angeles and you’re bound to bite into something that tastes nothing like what you’ll find here. There are theories on why the pizza in SoCal is so bad, strangely, most of them have to do with the water. Yes, the water.
5. Being able to Watch the Mets – I’m a Mets fan. Go ahead and laugh. You done laughing? I’ll wait … Okay. I can watch my favorite team play by simply turning on my TV any given night between now and the end of the season. Previously the only way I could watch the Amazins were the few national broadcasts or online at MLB.TV, but that costs money. I’d include something here about how well the Mets have played since I’ve come home but I’m sure that sort of thing would jinx the team, so I’ll just stay quiet.
6. World Cup — Speaking of sports, we’re just days away from the biggest sporting event in the world. I’ve lived in Boston and LA, two cities that are incredible melting pots of people from all over the world, but neither offered the same kind of atmosphere I get from my home in Bridgeport. My neighborhood in the North End is at the intersection of several soccer obsessed populations eager to celebrate a victory by their home nation. Horns beeping, music blasting, miniature impromptu parades may be a nuisance to some but I’m actually looking forward to it.
7. Duchess and Merritt Canteen – As I mentioned before, there’s a ton of great food to be eaten in Los Angeles, especially hamburgers. There’s actually a plethora of spectacular establishments known the world over for their delicious hamburgers, but none of them make me feel like I’m home the way a Big D from Duchess or a 1/4 lb hamburger from Merritt Canteen does.
8. 6% Sales Tax – Back in LA, I’m paying 9.75%. I’ve already noticed the difference 3.75% can make.
9. Dunkin’ Donuts — Do you know how many Dunkin’ Donuts shops there are in LA? If you said zero, you’d be correct. Now, I’m not much of a coffee drinker but I do like the fact that I can brag to my LA friends who would do anything to get a DD in LA. Just like the pizza thing, there’s several theories and urban legends regarding the lack of Dunkin’ in the area. I’ll actually miss wasting time with those kind of conversations.

Was there anything I forgot? Feel free to tell me in the comments below.