Somewhere Hospitality

Sunrise at Table Mountain

After a very filled 2 day visit to our soon to be new town, I have come away with a new phrase, forgive me it's already been coined, "Somewhere Hospitality". The residents are the kind of folk that would give you the coat off their backs. I think this is rare in a tourist destination having grown up in one all my life. And not to dig on the L.A. folk, but the Bay Area transplants do a much better job. Current Town has a lot of old timers, and we got to listen to some of them at breakfast one morning, they are a hoot. I have no doubt they will be in the same spot when we return. As we were trying to learn our way around and driving down the main street in our new town we commented to each other how patient the drivers were. Pedestrians would just walk out to cross the street, no one honked their horn or flipped the bird, it was NO BIG DEAL. How refreshing. That is also probably why I managed to escape getting a ticket for all of the illegal turns I was making, including the two main busy roads. It was easy to get lost, but also easy to get my bearings once I realized I was going the wrong direction.

My uncle is a retired Batallion Chief for CDF and he was telling us last night that when he went through with strike teams they would open up closed restaurants to feed his army and open up closed wings for them to get rest and cleaned up. VERY generous people. And I do believe that what comes around goes around, Karma. The town has great Karma.

The students at the high school also seem to have adapted this theory. I'm sure there are some attitude issues, but I feel I am a good judge of character, and I really enjoyed the kids I met. They invited our oldest to join them in a mentoring program for the evening. I have no doubt Mermaid will have another great group of friends to add to her list of lifelong friends. Bones, Ick, and K-Bug met friends at the park immediately and at the church. It's a new adventure and while they're sad to leave their friends here, their new friends have already made them feel very welcome. I don't have anything negative to say at all about the town. Nada.

Leaving the Central Coast will be difficult as I look at places wondering if this is my last visit to each spot. But, I'm assured it isn't. The coast is a beautiful place to visit(and live), it's just time for a new chapter in our lives.