Spring Break in California

We visited California for the boys' spring break, spending 6 nights in our old neighborhood in Altadena with friends and three nights in Palm Springs. After what might be recorded as Boulder's snowiest winters in over 100 years (120 inches and counting), this is what we needed: warmth and sun. The bonus was all of the friends we got to see, a visit to our old house, shopping and eating LA style and a reminder that just because you leave a place you can always go back. So how did it feel? It’s complicated. After 13 years, a large part of my young adult history is archived in Los Angeles. My children’s childhoods are firmly rooted in Los Angeles, especially Cole and Carson who spent almost a decade there. There will always be a big spot in my heart for LA. So many rites of passage were experienced there—first house, marriage, children—all the common certificates of adulthood, completed and framed in my personal history during my years in LA. I was able to see with great clarity what I left behind---intoxicating springs that come in early March; friendships that are irreplaceable; familiarity that brings great comfort and depth to your life. I was also able to understand what I had gained: great public schools that allow parents not to spend part of every conversation talking about what school their child is trying to get into and how they are going to pay for it; the architecture of a small town that affords ease and endless opportunities for community building; new friendships that hold tons of promise. In other words, I feel blessed to experience these two places at two different junctures in my life. And blessed to experience the richness of each and to understand their value. Simple translation: closure.