Comfort Level

Growing up in Southern California has definitely had an affect on my standards of comfort.  Comfort level is not something one can choose.  It is not a state of mind or a mood.  It is simply the overall effect of ones surroundings on a particular person.  My tolerance for things like smog, unsightly landscaping (or complete lack thereof!), and traffic has definitely improved since I left my lovely childhood stomping grounds, the planned community of Rancho Bernardo suburb of San Diego.

Upon arriving in Riverside (I only moved there because it was the only UC that I could get into!), it didn’t take long to realize that my comfort levels were about to take a beating.   Questions like “Why in God’s name would you move here if you already lived in San Diego?” are not something one wants to hear when arriving to a new town.  However, maybe it was my 17-year-old naivety or the fact that I lived within walking distance to Krispy Kreme (ok, I’ll be honest, there was not much walking going on) that kept me there.  And I’m glad I did.  Even though the summer heat, homeless drifters and lackluster surroundings tried my patience and my comfort level, I met a lot of really great people in the music scene and was able to focus my energy on creative outlets.

Moving to Northridge (again, for school) definitely improved my comfort level.  I admit that this is partly because of the abundance of strip malls and chain restaurants which were staples in my middle-class suburban upbringing.  Also, being in LA brought about so many more oppurtunities to find random jobs on craigslist (online marketing, focus groups, dating show contestant), endless concerts and events (getting on the guest list for these has become a hobby for me) and crazy fun people to party with.  Even still, living in the Valley was a pain in the butt when most of my adventures brought me to the Hollywood area, especially once I start working at small record label in Silverlake.

I knew that decreasing my commute to work would be of the utmost importance if I was going to maintain my comfort level during my post-college, what-the-hell-do-I-do-now?! phase.  Hence, after graduating I quickly began searching for a place closer to the area code 323 (yay! a legit LA #).   After finding Auburn House my comfort level has soared to heights I never imagined possible.

Occasionally, things come my way that temporarily manage to lower my comfort level such as temperatures that lie outside of my optimal range (75-85), burger king commercials and the fact that the side street next to my house is now one-way in the wrong direction.  However, I must say that life is pretty comfortable at the moment, even for a native San Diegan.

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