On a recent trip to California, as we ventured down the Pacific Coast Highway hearing the grunts of sealions in Monterey, watching the waves crash beneath Bixby Creek Bridge and walking the red-tiled paths of Santa Barbara — I was in awe of the Golden State.
Sat on a cable car that climbed the rolling hills of San Fransisco early one Monday morning, I noticed the people around me on their phones, emailing and texting as their workdays began. “What a view!” I said to the lady sitting next to me. “I’m used to it,” she smiled with a shrug.
As we ate the best xiao long bao we’ve ever tasted in Chinatown later that evening, I remarked to my husband that I couldn’t fathom being surrounded by all of this scenery, these food offerings and remarkable landmarks and not soaking it in every day.
I noticed this more throughout my trip, seeing people complete their morning jog on the Golden Gate bridge, surfing before work on Laguna Beach, and dining beside Oscar-winning celebrities in Malibu without a second glace.
These stand-out moments to me were routine for others.
Speaking to an elderly couple we met as we walked among the giant redwoods in Napa, they asked where we were from. “We’re from rainy Ireland,” my husband answered with a smile. “You guys can’t complain about the rain with all of that great scenery,” the California native replied. “We visited years ago and saw ancient Round Towers in the middle of towns, and it felt like people barely gave them a second glance! You guys are lucky to be surrounded with that history and scenery, never mind the rain!”
I explained this slightly serendiptious moment to the couple, as I realised I am that person emailing at 7 a.m. on the train in Dublin missing the scenery that tourists setting out for the day are busy marveling at. I take my evening stroll around my local village passing by a medieval castle which I’ve never even visited despite living there for 30 years.
I think many of us feel we would cherish a location in a way others don’t — but this likely isn’t the case.
As I type this from the Irish countryside, I’ve booked a ticket to visit our local castle and have promised myself that on my next morning commute, I’ll put my phone down and pay attention to the green hills and the wandering sheep. And reader, next time you’re in Santa Cruz or Oceanside, Montecito, or Solvang — look around and view it from the eyes of a tourist — it might just help you fall more in love with the city you’re lucky enough to live in.
