Reflecting Pools

I recently returned home from Seattle a couple of days ago. It was a glorious trip filled with music, literature, cupcakes, coffee, salmon and assorted beer. I cannot wait until I officially move to the Pacific Northwest. The city greatly intrigues me. I am not entirely sure why. At first, I want to draw a comparison between San Diego and Seattle; obviously, San Diego wins in regards to weather. I do not think there is any city in the United States that has comparable weather than San Diego. Besides the general state of perfectness Seattle seems like a perfect fit. There is a huge difference in culture from Seattle to San Diego. It is hard to explain…I tired to explain it to a guy in a bookstore near Ballard and can only come out with, “ well in Southern Ca we are too busy trying to look good and basking in the sun to pay attention anything truly important.” While in Seattle it seems like everybody has a book, cares about art (they have a Richard Serra piece as PUBLIC ART), and appear to actually care about the presidential election. We have too many distractions, the sun, the beach, and our own problems that we forget there is an entire world outside of San Diego County. I don’t know, especially from only visiting, if Seattle is the same or if the city proves to the antithesis to Southern Ca ambivalence, but I am willing to try.
It is just that I find San Diego, and largely all of Southern California, annoying. There are bits of interesting here and there but most of it is simply show. Living in Southern California is a lot like living permanently in high school in constant fear of being judged for something pointless like the paints you wear and how you comb your hair. My choice to move, is not because Seattle rocks (because it does), but out of general dissatisfaction with San Diego.