Homes with hilltop views above downtown Glendale near Los Angeles.Credit…Trekandshoot/Alamy
Housing is unaffordable. Summers have become unbearably hot. Earthquakes and fires remain an ever-present, terrifying threat.
And yet, nearly 40 million of us choose to live in California. For the past several weeks, you’ve been telling me why.
In the dozens of love letters to Fresno, Crescent City, Glendale and more that have landed in my inbox, there are some common threads for why we stay: family ties, the beaches, the diversity, the pleasant weather. But more often, the reason is something far less concrete, something that can’t easily be summarized in a few words.
Today I’m sharing your notes about why you love your corner of California. As always, you can share your own submission at [email protected]. Enjoy.
“I’ve traveled the world and there is something distinctive and unique about the light in Southern California. It’s brighter, shinier, warmer. My first year of graduate school in Boston was freezing, wet and gray. When I returned home to California for winter break and stepped off the plane in December, I felt the light of the sun in my bones. The sky was so blue. It was visceral and unforgettable.” — Darlene Salmon, San Diego
“Dear Napa,
For eight years now, I’ve been in love with you. Whether it’s a densely foggy morning that smells like the sea or a day of blue skies speckled with hot air balloons, I wake up instantly reminded of my love for you.
As I drive through this valley of rolling hills, vineyards that change shape and color throughout the year, craggy mountains and hiking trails of endless wonder, I realize how lucky I am to truly love where I live.
California is not perfect, but I can never leave. Whether at home in Napa or with my feet in the sand at Dillon Beach or breathing in the smell of the forest on a trail, you have me forever. And I hope I have you.” — Megan DeGuerre, Napa
“I love this vacation land I get to live and play in. Hikes through the redwoods, floating on the Smith River on a hot summer day or a stroll on the beach. The northernmost end of the state has it all, except the crowds.” — Sandra Anderson, Crescent City
“California in general and Los Angeles in particular has a rep for being a haven for people who love nothing so much as hiking and surfing, which made Burbank a delightfully nerdy surprise.
My first apartment was in walking distance of three used bookstores on San Fernando. Then there was the Christmas celebration at City Hall in which Burbank welcomed Santa to town by giving him his own library card. When I saw that, I turned to my partner and said, ‘That’s the most Burbank thing I’ve ever seen.’
From the multiple gaming stores to the sci-fi conventions at the Marriott and the Dalek standing sentinel at Geeky Teas — the world’s first, and perhaps only, gaming cafe/tea emporium/kitten rescue hybrid — Burbank flies its nerd flag like it’s the seal of the city. As one of Burbank’s thousands of nerdy entertainment professionals, it’s hard to imagine a city that could make us feel more at home. — Kathleen “K.C.” Cromie, Burbank
“No matter where in the world I have been, there is no feeling like the feeling of flying and descending right into a California evening. As I admire time and again its majestic golden light and walk into the sage-infused dry air, I know I am home.” — Rosana Díaz, San Francisco
If you read one story, make it this
At school districts in California and beyond, chronic absenteeism has skyrocketed.
The rest of the news
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Covid-19 fraud: The Justice Department announced the arrests of 21 people, including some Californians, for an alleged fraud scheme totaling nearly $150 million, The Los Angeles Times reports.
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Obama fights disinformation: President Barack Obama is headed to Silicon Valley this week with a grim message about the threat tech giants have created for the nation.
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Newsom’s homeless plan: Dozens of organizations and advocates are opposing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan for court-ordered treatment for mental illness and addiction, The Los Angeles Times reports.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
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ASAP Rocky arrested: The rapper was arrested in Los Angeles on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon stemming from an alleged shooting last year.
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Plane crash: Trevor Jacob, a YouTuber who posted a video of himself last year parachuting out of a plane, purposely abandoned the aircraft and allowed it to crash in Los Padres National Forest, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
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Heavy snow warning: A snowstorm is expected in Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on Thursday and Friday.
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Almond growers: How the supply chain crunch is hurting California’s farmers.
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School stabbing: The man who fatally stabbed a 15-year-old at a high school tried to grab two girls first, The Associated Press reports.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
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Heavy snow warning: A snowstorm is expected to hit the Greater Lake Tahoe area as well as Mono, Lassen, Plumas and Sierra Counties on Thursday and Friday.
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Rain in the Bay Area: Widespread showers are expected across the Bay Area through Friday afternoon, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
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Home Depot fire: Prosectors said that a man charged with setting fire to a Home Depot was trying to create a distraction while stealing tools, The Associated Press reports.
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Teacher lawsuit: A teacher who was fired after attending the rally at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 is suing the Sacramento City Unified School District, The Sacramento Bee reports.
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Police shooting: A man who was shot in the wrist by a San Francisco police officer is suing the city. The Police Department has issued an apology, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
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“Mummified” body: A deceased man found in the walls of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland was identified as someone who had been missing since 2020.
What we’re eating
Aromatic cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves meld into this comforting Nigerian porridge.
Where we’re traveling
Joshua Tree National Park. Yosemite. Mercey Hot Springs outside Fresno.
The Times writer Caity Weaver tried #VanLife in California for a week. It wasn’t pretty.
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to [email protected]. We’ll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.
And before you go, some good news
What lurks at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean? Californians have a rare chance to see for themselves.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new exhibit “Into the Deep” showcases bone-eating worms, spider crabs that are 12 feet wide and pulsating red jellyfish discovered so recently that scientists have yet to give the species a name, KSBW 8 reports.
“A lot of these creatures we don’t know a lot about because they haven’t really been studied,” Beth Redmond-Jones, the aquarium’s vice president of exhibitions, said. “We know more about space than we do our ocean and the deep sea.”
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumya
P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: “It ___ been easy …” (5 letters).
Briana Scalia and Mariel Wamsley contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at [email protected].
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