opinion

California, here we come
by Michelle Klimasch

My parents had promised me Vienna for Christmas vacation, but no matter how much I hoped for that gift, it never came. Instead, they changed their minds and I heard the word “California” come out of their mouths. What?! I couldn’t understand how a destination could suddenly jump from Vienna to California. Europe, with its vast history and meaningful art . . . and now the USA?

Give me a break.

But it turns out that my brother was going there for college and the rest of us were going along to check it out. At first, I absolutely refused to go; I had no interest whatsoever in going anywhere near the United States. But, in the end, I caved in and decided to go anyway.

It’s true what I heard on one of my favorite television programs: California changes you. It was a fascinating and refreshing experience. We stayed on a ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, near a sweet little town called Solvang. Oh . . . and my parents never actually went, so it turned out to be just my brother and me.

His college, SBCC (Santa Barbara City College) was about an hour away from the ranch, in Santa Barbara. Every morning I’d start off by getting out of my warm blanket, and stepping into a sudden brisk chill that sent shivers down my back. Five o’clock, it was time to catch the bus to the city. Santa Barbara was absolutely beautiful. Everything looked uplifting and there was always a perfect sun in the bright blue sky; this picture was only slightly ruined by the sharp cold winds that came from the ocean. The city is located right on the beach, but unlike Panama, one can actually go in the water, although it’s freezing cold.

Usually, I’m the type of person who writes to her boyfriend and friends to tell them how much I miss them. But on this trip I didn’t. Not once did it even cross my mind. Every day I’d go out and explore every inch of the city. I’d visit the famous wharf, ride all the different buses, shop, have some coffee, sit back in a café, and relax.

What I didn’t realize, however, was how much I was growing attached to California. When I came back to Panama I was acting differently, according to my friends. I didn’t go out with them anymore, and kept to myself in my own little bubble. I was craving the perfect blue sky and the icy blue ocean breeze. I didn’t want to be in Panama, I wanted to be in California. And now that my brother was living there, I became extremely envious and I longed to return there every second of every day. Almost all of my friends became angry at me, and I had forgotten to call my best friend on her birthday. Life here became a complete mess. Even my boyfriend seemed far away because I was ignoring his existence, which almost led to a break-up. I was ready for the next step after graduation and I didn’t care about my life in Panama anymore. I wanted to move to California and stay there; nothing was going to change that.

Thankfully, I snapped out of the trance. I realized that, for now, Panama is where I live and I have to set California aside for another year. The time will come when I will have to part, and I’m hoping to attend college there next year. But for now I’ll try to stay happy in Panama because all the people I care about and who are the most important in my life are here.

And as for California, I’ll be there before I know it.

Michelle Klimasch is a senior at Balboa Academy