Californian details

"I admire people who choose to shine even after all the storms they have been through."

I arrived to San Diego, California, a month ago and after some requests, I have finally said 'yes' to the proposal of writing a blog about my Californian experience. It's actually pretty hard to start now as many things have happened since I arrived, but if I had to choose my first special moment in California, I will not have any doubt: Ocean Beach.

It was my second day here, and my homestay told me the closest beach was named Ocean Beach. Apparently, it was only a 20 minutes walk... So I said 'yes! why not?'

In the end, it was a 1 hour walk but I found myself in a street called Voltaire St, walking down to the beach, enjoying and discovering every single little thing on the way. At that moment, I realized coming to San Diego had been the best choice for me: there are places that change you as a person, and I'm quite sure California is going to leave a footprint on me for the rest of my life. 

There's actually no buildings or flats in this area, everything is surrounded by small houses and their gardens, with the American flag and the kids playing on a swing hanged on a tree. And by the way: kids play in the streets here! This wouldn't have to be something to highlight but after seeing the latest trends in kids, a tablet seems to have set apart swings and skinned knees forever. 

People tell you 'hi!' in the street even if it's the first time they see you, while in Spain you even try to hide to avoid saying 'hello' to someone that you have known for years. And that is contagious!! That's why I started giving back some of the 'have a great day' and now they form part of my day-to-day expressions. How cool is it to get out of a store and have someone just wishing you a great day? And what if it's also random people in the street? What I mean is, come on!, the likelihood of actually having a great day has to be higher for sure!!!

On my way, I found a store with all the walls painted in different colors with many inspirational quotes written on them and I'd like to share this hidden spot in San Diego here also. 

A few meters afterwards, a poster in a bar said "You are gonna love us, but you don't know it yet!". Just because of that, they deserved a chance!

In America, everything you could think of is, by definition, bigger. If you think of cars, they don't have normal cars here, they have bigger ones. If you think of coffee, an espresso is not even considered. 

Going to the point, though, Ocean Beach is a beach area that has not been rebuild since 1950s as the city wants to keep it like it used to be. It is the surfer, skater, hippie neighborhood; but it is not a bad one. It is just cool people. As many movies have shown, beaches are big and I have to admit that even the lifeguard clichés are true: WOW!

In any case, sitting on a rock, looking at people surfing no matter the age and gender, and reading a book was one of the best feelings I've experienced in my whole life. Then I understood that freedom is not given, it is won. 

There was another thing that surprised me at Ocean Beach. There was no 'postureo'. I don't know if this is a Spanish term but I'd say it also exists in other cultures. People was just doing whatever they wanted to do: there were girls playing beach soccer, more than 10 voleyball fields with amazing(!!) kids playing on them, people of all ages playing games in the grass, trying a kind of weird hockey similar to criquet, etc. Nobody cared. That was the best part! 

Walking back home I was thinking of how inspiring had that afternoon been for me, how people is optimistic by definition because it's the only way it is meant to be and that reminded me of the so called 'American dream'. As I said, everything is bigger in America: but not only the cars, the burguers and the people; also the way of thinking. 

That is another philosophy of life. And when I found these words written on a random stairs in the middle of my way back home, I realized that that was also my wild philosophy. 

See you soon. And by the way, HAVE A GREAT DAY!

cleir