eMeehan.com

Okay so the title is not 100% true… its not really about California VS Texas, but more of a comparison of the two. I have been living in Texas over 18 months now, and I lived in California just over 24 months before moving here to Texas.

Well in the two years in California I made some great friends, and well we may not stay in touch as much as I would like (mostly my fault for not calling) I consider them some of the most influential people in my life. Now all you peeps in Hawaii and Florida, hold your shit…. you guys are fucking awesome too. But the people I meet in California were friends I made while starting my career. All those stressful days in the office, I needed a good friend to hit up happy hour, or go have lunch with. Jen, Chris, Fabio, Lucy, Brad, lil Sis, Jo, Brian, Trish, Jill, Kristen T., Joel, Cole, the DJ at Garapallo, and all the people who I meet at the bars or happy hour…. lots of people for a small town like San Luis Obispo. On any given day I could call or be called to do something. Beach bon fires, house party, lazy saturday, sunday funday, etc, etc.

Flash forward to Texas, the present, the now. I was in a relationship when I moved here, and didn’t go downtown very often and worked my ass to the bone for the first year. Well now I am single, and have a small group of friends that I go out with. But its not the same, something is different here, the people are different, the attitudes are different. Maybe its because every time I go out I try and talk to people, woman mostly, and they all think I am trying to get in there pants. Well for maybe 5% of the woman I approach that might be true, but really I am just looking to make friends here. I have made a few friends by this approach, but still don’t feel like people understand me. I do find I meet more people older than myself, which is great, but than sometimes find that I don’t have a lot in common with them. I am still young in my career, still trying to find my place, not ready to settle down, can barely manage my responsibilities. I am 27 living in a 30 something city… where are all the 20 somethings like my self?? Lets go get a beer!!

When I had a problem, I surfed. When I had a bad day, I surfed. When everything seemed wrong in this world, I surfed. And when I got out of the water… its as if the thousands of gallons of salt water just washed all the bullshit away. Surfing (or body boarding, which was 70% of the time) was my escape from the world, it was my pain killer… my escape from the realities we call life. I could spend hours in the water, no need for food or drink. I didn’t even need to make much money, or drive a fancy car, it was all about getting to the beach and just hanging out with friends. It was the few times in my life I truly felt excited, and inspired.