California vs. Texas
California.
The lease to my 15 month term was soon approaching and I had to make a very important decision.. . .
Do I renew my lease?
I had given it over a year. I had a good job. I was making friends. I found some nice Thai restaurants. The mountains were lovely. But it wasn't the same. It could never be the same. Most importantly, there was a dark cloud over my head. A cloud that reminded me that my ex-boyfriend knew where I lived. My ex-boyfriend was only a few miles away. It was a cloud that reminded me that my ex-boyfriend knew that I was alone. I was alone.
I had become incredibly strong in the past year. I had found a strength within me that I never knew existed. Nope, not a weight training kind of strong. Not a "I can lift a barbell" kind of strong. It was a, "I can move to a new city all by myself and have a kickass year" kind of strong. It was a, "I don't have any close friends around me so I'll spend Friday evening with myself" kind of strong. It was an, "I'll assemble this desk and this fix this vacuum cleaner by myself" kind of strong. It was an amazing and powerful kind of strong.
Yet despite this knowingness, I felt that my time was complete in California. I was sitting at work one day and I thought to myself. "What am I doing here?" Yes, I liked insurance and yes I enjoyed working in claims, but seriously, what was I doing there? I hadn't left the country in years. When I was a kid I used to travel all of the time with my family. But as I got older, I traveled less and less and less. Why??? There were two reasons. #1. I barely got any time off with work. #2. When I was in a relationship, I just didn't want to leave. It wasn't his fault. It was mine. (Well, maybe it was a little bit of his fault because he never wanted to travel with me. Grrrrrr! Note to self: Future life partner has to have the travel bug in him ;)
I missed Texas. I missed my friends. I missed my family. I missed HEB. I missed kolaches. And to be honest, financially it didn't make any sense for me to stay in California anymore. (Please see comparison list below! ) Also, there was one more thing that strengthened while I was in California. My writing. This very blog that you all are reading right now is my heart and soul. I just wanted to write. I just wanted to travel and write. And so, in that moment while I was at work, I made the spur of the moment decision. I needed to quit. I needed to go back home. And I needed to travel and write. Some might call it a mid life crisis like Elizabeth Gilbert from Eat, Pray, Love. I call it: following the conviction within you. I went into my manager's office and put in my notice. I went to my apartment complex and gave them my 60 day notice. Steps 1 and 2 were complete. :)
And so I planned out the next couple of months of my life like this: One month in Europe. One month in Asia. One month in India. ;) But India is in Asia you say! My bad. By Asia I mean, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. Don't worry, I will not be traveling alone! I am very lucky to have family and friends everywhere around the world.
There was one more important thing I wanted to do. I wanted to move back in with my mom. I wanted to property learn how to cook from her and just be with her. I wanted to spend more time with my family. I want to get married from my mother's home. When I was 20 years old, I moved out on my own due to uncontrollable family problems. I've lived on my own for over a decade and people would always say, "oh, you must be used to it." Well, let me set the record straight. Living alone is not something you ever get used to. I don't believe that we as humans were put on this Earth to be alone and live alone. To my younger audience: When your parents ask you, "Where are you going? Whom are you going with? When will you be back?" count your blessings. Those questions are all underlying blessings of love and care from your parents. I wanted to be asked those questions once more. . .
I called my mom and my stepfather who honestly should not be called "stepfather" because he has a heart of gold that surpasses the word "step". He is my Acha. (Acha means Dad in South India.) They both welcomed me back with open arms.
And so I packed up my bags and got ready to move back and start a new beautiful journey. :)
Upon making all of these decision and acting upon it, I cannot even begin to tell you how much the universe has supported me. How things have just been happening at the right time and the right place. How certain people have entered my life and how certain people have exited my life. When there is a force and a conviction inside you to do something, listen to it and just do it. The universe will be aligned with you.
So, what was once a dating blog will now turn into a travel blog. ;) Don't worry, I will still write about Sikhi and those blogs will still go to Sikhnet. That was probably the best thing that happened to me in California. Not that I made it to the fraud department in my professional career. But to become a Sikhnet writer and to share my spiritual journey.
Before I end this blog, I'd like to do a comparison of California and Texas for all of my friends and family ;) Ready? Let's go. . . .
California vs. Texas (My very biased opinion) ;)
1. Burgers: In and Out vs. Whataburger. (This isn't accurate as now In and Out is in most cities of Texas except Houston but whatever lol) In my opinion, Whataburger is better for meat eaters and In and Out is better for vegetarians. Why? Because when you are eating meat, you shouldn't mess up the burger with a bunch of cold veggies! You need warm melted cheese and toasty, buttery bread to go with it! Whataburger knows exactly how to do that, whereas In and Out has an awesome grilled cheese sandwich that can be upgraded to "animal style" which ironically is not animal style at all! My even more biased opinion? Skip both and opt out for a salad. Fast food is bad for you!!!!
2. Weather:Yes, California is known for its awesome weather but I think that really applies to Northern California or to those who live right next to the beach. I lived in Ontario and trust me it got HOT. Summer just started and that part of California is actually much hotter than Texas right now.
Yes, Houston is humid, but it's not that bad. Cali has this dry heat that makes you feel like you just walked into an oven! ( I told you this was my biased opinion! ;)
3. People: People are friendly everywhere. If you release positive energy into the universe you will only get positive energy back. :). To be honest, I was a little worried about returning to a red, Trump, state as a brown woman, but to my surprise people are just as friendly as ever. Most of them. lol
4. Drivers: Drivers are worse in Texas. :( I know. I know. Maybe it's because our roads are wider and bigger and there is more room to cut people off! Traffic was definitely worse in L.A., but overall when driving on the freeway, people all generally go at the same speed. However in Texas, some people drive too slow and some people drive too fast and lord have mercy. . . . . lol
5. Scenery: California. Hands down. Those mountains, the beaches, the palm trees. It is absolutely beautiful. However, there is still something special about the open sky that you see and feel in Texas. ;)
6. Food: (Yes, food and burgers are two separate categories.) Food is by far the best in Texas. Literally, whatever you want whether it be Indian, Thai, Mexican, Barbeque. . . I could go on an on. From Tex-Max to the Kolaches to the freshly made peanut butter at HEB. God bless Texas. ;)
7. Things to Do: California. California wins by a landslide. Whether it be hiking up a mountain, going to the beach, going to theme parks or unique off the wall comedy shows in L.A. In Texas we uhmmmmmm. . . . eat. And then go to the shooting range. And then eat some more. ;)
8. Finances: Lord. Have. Mercy. Where do I begin? Rent is more expensive in California. Insurance is more expensive. Gas is more expensive. Movie tickets are more expensive. Tolls are more expensive. California takes out an extra state income tax. Car registration in Cali is hundreds of dollars whereas Texas is like $60 or $70 bucks. Those mountains are beautiful but they aren't cheap! If you want to live in a house that has a nice front yard and back yard AND still have plenty of money left over at the end of each month, just move to Texas. ;)
9. Sikhs: There is a very large and strong Sikh community that thrives all throughout California. I'm not gonna lie, that part was super nice. There are plenty of Gurudwaras and plenty of events. And the Sikhs in Cali go all out and it's amazing. From the Darbar - E - Khalsa to Samagams to Gatka competitions, it was so very, very cool to be a part of and to see. It always made me happy to see 18 wheeler trucks with a Khanda on the back of them or to randomly pass by a "Singh Chevrolet" Car Dealership in Riverside or to drive through the farmlands of Bakersfield knowing that a lot of those farms were owned and operated by Sikhs. Oh! Exception to the food category. Punjabi Food is hands down much better in California. ;)
10. 10 Categories would have been perfect isn't it? But I seriously cannot think of a 10th category! Helllllppppppppp!!!!! If ya'll can think of one, let me know. ;)
The Final Verdict? Which one is better? Both of them and neither of them. ;) Both states are beautiful and unique in their own special way. One state has dirt that is flat and the other state has dirt which is piled up into mountains. Lol!
But I will say this. . . home is where your friends and family are. Friends and family are everything. Not to say that you cannot make new friends and family though. ;) I met some amazing people in California and I will always remember them. :)
Lastly and most importantly, neither state is better or worse because wherever we are currently residing right now is where we are meant to me. If I was hiking a mountain in California yesterday, if I am sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop here in Texas today and if I am driving in a country like Scotland tomorrow, that is exactly where God wants me to be. God places all of us in exact locations at exact times all for exact reasons. All we have to do is trust that we are there in that moment for a purpose. ;)
Bhull Chuk Maaf
Christine Kaur :)
The lease to my 15 month term was soon approaching and I had to make a very important decision.. . .
Do I renew my lease?
I had given it over a year. I had a good job. I was making friends. I found some nice Thai restaurants. The mountains were lovely. But it wasn't the same. It could never be the same. Most importantly, there was a dark cloud over my head. A cloud that reminded me that my ex-boyfriend knew where I lived. My ex-boyfriend was only a few miles away. It was a cloud that reminded me that my ex-boyfriend knew that I was alone. I was alone.
I had become incredibly strong in the past year. I had found a strength within me that I never knew existed. Nope, not a weight training kind of strong. Not a "I can lift a barbell" kind of strong. It was a, "I can move to a new city all by myself and have a kickass year" kind of strong. It was a, "I don't have any close friends around me so I'll spend Friday evening with myself" kind of strong. It was an, "I'll assemble this desk and this fix this vacuum cleaner by myself" kind of strong. It was an amazing and powerful kind of strong.
Yet despite this knowingness, I felt that my time was complete in California. I was sitting at work one day and I thought to myself. "What am I doing here?" Yes, I liked insurance and yes I enjoyed working in claims, but seriously, what was I doing there? I hadn't left the country in years. When I was a kid I used to travel all of the time with my family. But as I got older, I traveled less and less and less. Why??? There were two reasons. #1. I barely got any time off with work. #2. When I was in a relationship, I just didn't want to leave. It wasn't his fault. It was mine. (Well, maybe it was a little bit of his fault because he never wanted to travel with me. Grrrrrr! Note to self: Future life partner has to have the travel bug in him ;)
I missed Texas. I missed my friends. I missed my family. I missed HEB. I missed kolaches. And to be honest, financially it didn't make any sense for me to stay in California anymore. (Please see comparison list below! ) Also, there was one more thing that strengthened while I was in California. My writing. This very blog that you all are reading right now is my heart and soul. I just wanted to write. I just wanted to travel and write. And so, in that moment while I was at work, I made the spur of the moment decision. I needed to quit. I needed to go back home. And I needed to travel and write. Some might call it a mid life crisis like Elizabeth Gilbert from Eat, Pray, Love. I call it: following the conviction within you. I went into my manager's office and put in my notice. I went to my apartment complex and gave them my 60 day notice. Steps 1 and 2 were complete. :)
And so I planned out the next couple of months of my life like this: One month in Europe. One month in Asia. One month in India. ;) But India is in Asia you say! My bad. By Asia I mean, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. Don't worry, I will not be traveling alone! I am very lucky to have family and friends everywhere around the world.
There was one more important thing I wanted to do. I wanted to move back in with my mom. I wanted to property learn how to cook from her and just be with her. I wanted to spend more time with my family. I want to get married from my mother's home. When I was 20 years old, I moved out on my own due to uncontrollable family problems. I've lived on my own for over a decade and people would always say, "oh, you must be used to it." Well, let me set the record straight. Living alone is not something you ever get used to. I don't believe that we as humans were put on this Earth to be alone and live alone. To my younger audience: When your parents ask you, "Where are you going? Whom are you going with? When will you be back?" count your blessings. Those questions are all underlying blessings of love and care from your parents. I wanted to be asked those questions once more. . .
I called my mom and my stepfather who honestly should not be called "stepfather" because he has a heart of gold that surpasses the word "step". He is my Acha. (Acha means Dad in South India.) They both welcomed me back with open arms.
And so I packed up my bags and got ready to move back and start a new beautiful journey. :)
Upon making all of these decision and acting upon it, I cannot even begin to tell you how much the universe has supported me. How things have just been happening at the right time and the right place. How certain people have entered my life and how certain people have exited my life. When there is a force and a conviction inside you to do something, listen to it and just do it. The universe will be aligned with you.
So, what was once a dating blog will now turn into a travel blog. ;) Don't worry, I will still write about Sikhi and those blogs will still go to Sikhnet. That was probably the best thing that happened to me in California. Not that I made it to the fraud department in my professional career. But to become a Sikhnet writer and to share my spiritual journey.
Before I end this blog, I'd like to do a comparison of California and Texas for all of my friends and family ;) Ready? Let's go. . . .
California vs. Texas (My very biased opinion) ;)
1. Burgers: In and Out vs. Whataburger. (This isn't accurate as now In and Out is in most cities of Texas except Houston but whatever lol) In my opinion, Whataburger is better for meat eaters and In and Out is better for vegetarians. Why? Because when you are eating meat, you shouldn't mess up the burger with a bunch of cold veggies! You need warm melted cheese and toasty, buttery bread to go with it! Whataburger knows exactly how to do that, whereas In and Out has an awesome grilled cheese sandwich that can be upgraded to "animal style" which ironically is not animal style at all! My even more biased opinion? Skip both and opt out for a salad. Fast food is bad for you!!!!
2. Weather:Yes, California is known for its awesome weather but I think that really applies to Northern California or to those who live right next to the beach. I lived in Ontario and trust me it got HOT. Summer just started and that part of California is actually much hotter than Texas right now.
Yes, Houston is humid, but it's not that bad. Cali has this dry heat that makes you feel like you just walked into an oven! ( I told you this was my biased opinion! ;)
3. People: People are friendly everywhere. If you release positive energy into the universe you will only get positive energy back. :). To be honest, I was a little worried about returning to a red, Trump, state as a brown woman, but to my surprise people are just as friendly as ever. Most of them. lol
4. Drivers: Drivers are worse in Texas. :( I know. I know. Maybe it's because our roads are wider and bigger and there is more room to cut people off! Traffic was definitely worse in L.A., but overall when driving on the freeway, people all generally go at the same speed. However in Texas, some people drive too slow and some people drive too fast and lord have mercy. . . . . lol
5. Scenery: California. Hands down. Those mountains, the beaches, the palm trees. It is absolutely beautiful. However, there is still something special about the open sky that you see and feel in Texas. ;)
6. Food: (Yes, food and burgers are two separate categories.) Food is by far the best in Texas. Literally, whatever you want whether it be Indian, Thai, Mexican, Barbeque. . . I could go on an on. From Tex-Max to the Kolaches to the freshly made peanut butter at HEB. God bless Texas. ;)
7. Things to Do: California. California wins by a landslide. Whether it be hiking up a mountain, going to the beach, going to theme parks or unique off the wall comedy shows in L.A. In Texas we uhmmmmmm. . . . eat. And then go to the shooting range. And then eat some more. ;)
8. Finances: Lord. Have. Mercy. Where do I begin? Rent is more expensive in California. Insurance is more expensive. Gas is more expensive. Movie tickets are more expensive. Tolls are more expensive. California takes out an extra state income tax. Car registration in Cali is hundreds of dollars whereas Texas is like $60 or $70 bucks. Those mountains are beautiful but they aren't cheap! If you want to live in a house that has a nice front yard and back yard AND still have plenty of money left over at the end of each month, just move to Texas. ;)
9. Sikhs: There is a very large and strong Sikh community that thrives all throughout California. I'm not gonna lie, that part was super nice. There are plenty of Gurudwaras and plenty of events. And the Sikhs in Cali go all out and it's amazing. From the Darbar - E - Khalsa to Samagams to Gatka competitions, it was so very, very cool to be a part of and to see. It always made me happy to see 18 wheeler trucks with a Khanda on the back of them or to randomly pass by a "Singh Chevrolet" Car Dealership in Riverside or to drive through the farmlands of Bakersfield knowing that a lot of those farms were owned and operated by Sikhs. Oh! Exception to the food category. Punjabi Food is hands down much better in California. ;)
10. 10 Categories would have been perfect isn't it? But I seriously cannot think of a 10th category! Helllllppppppppp!!!!! If ya'll can think of one, let me know. ;)
The Final Verdict? Which one is better? Both of them and neither of them. ;) Both states are beautiful and unique in their own special way. One state has dirt that is flat and the other state has dirt which is piled up into mountains. Lol!
But I will say this. . . home is where your friends and family are. Friends and family are everything. Not to say that you cannot make new friends and family though. ;) I met some amazing people in California and I will always remember them. :)
Lastly and most importantly, neither state is better or worse because wherever we are currently residing right now is where we are meant to me. If I was hiking a mountain in California yesterday, if I am sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop here in Texas today and if I am driving in a country like Scotland tomorrow, that is exactly where God wants me to be. God places all of us in exact locations at exact times all for exact reasons. All we have to do is trust that we are there in that moment for a purpose. ;)
Bhull Chuk Maaf
Christine Kaur :)
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