It may be because Los Angeles was the last place we lived in for any amount of time before adopting our vagabond lifestyle. It may be because we have so many friends and family here who welcome us with open arms whenever we return. Or maybe it’s just that we cannot get enough of the sunshine, palm trees, warm and dry climate, and the Mexican influence in almost everything. Whatever it is, arriving in Los Angeles always feels like coming home.

This time we spent ten days visiting family members and friends as well as taking care of business. We spent our first weekend behind the Orange Curtain with cousins Audrey and Rich and son Matt and drove out to the Valley to see Aunt Ruth – a woman in her late eighties whose recent blindness has truly changed her outlook in life in an unexpectantly positive manner.

We spent the rest of our time at Mijo’s, the 18-pound behemoth of a black cat we left behind when we left three and a half years ago, who rules the home of good friend Melanie. As she had to work to keep the boy in kitty litter and kibbles, we didn’t get to spend as much time as we would have liked with Melanie…but she promises to come and visit us in China.

We had so many dinner dates that we probably put on a few pounds thanks to In and Out burgers, Marie Callender meals and pies, Mexican and Indian food, and a few beers and glasses of wine. The best part, of course, was to spend time with old friends and work colleagues and catch up on all of the news and gossip.

We couldn’t help but feel that we are better off living in other countries during this deep economic recession as we hear stories of people losing their homes and jobs, marriages failing under so much pressure, and young adults unable to find their first real jobs.

One of the most striking things about Southern California was the evidence of the three-year drought. The hills are brown and grey or black from brush fires. We visited a very good friend’s ranch where six years of clearing brush saved the house and other buildings when the flames invaded her property. Greta was featured in the newspaper a few months ago when the raging Station fire was threatening to burn everything and she was asked if there was anything she wanted saved (other than the buildings, obviously). Greta, surprised by the offer, said that it would be wonderful if they could save the Christmas tree planted by her daughter Robbie some 40 years ago. They saved the tree – the only green, living thing still standing – and featured it in a photo of the L.A. Times coverage of the fire.

Another striking surprise, in contrast to the recession and dreary landscape, was the busyness of the malls which were full of colorful holiday decorations and people walking around practically over-burdened with shopping bags. Sales at Macy’s and J.C. Penney attract hundreds of shoppers vying for the same pair of shoes. High-end grocery stores such as Whole Foods are full of people buying expensive specialty foods. Huge SUVs continue to fill the streets even though the price of gas in L.A. is at $3 a gallon. And, according to the L.A. Times, people are lining up overnight to buy the latest versions of video games.

We comforted ourselves by saying we were supporting the U.S. economy with our shopping for new shoes, travel clothing and toiletteries: we didn’t want to look like complete bums for the European part of our trip. At those times when we could barely make it to the cash to pay without fighting off hordes of shoppers, we kept telling ourselves that anything purchased here would surely be cheaper than what we would find in Europe. I hope we’re right.

WHAT’S NEXT: flying to Portugal for eleven-week tour of Mediterranean Europe: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece and Turkey; traveling to China in early February in time for Chinese New Year; and settling in Wenzhou, China in February 2010.

NOTE: My “This Expat Life” & “Writing on Wednesdays” blogs are on hiatus until we settle down in Wenzhou in February 2010. Between now and then, I’ll be writing only about Baby Boomers Traveling. Hope you enjoy coming along with us.

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