Saturday, March 3, 2018

Thinking of New Hampshire


I watched On Golden Pond last weekend with a friend. The views of central New Hampshire paired with the music brought back such extreme nostalgia for that region that I found myself struggling not to cry as the film began! 

I’ve been happy in coastal California and love the natural beauty of the nearby rocky coast, ocean cliffs, eucalyptus, and redwood trees, but watching On Golden Pond and being reminded of the natural beauty of where I’m from brought me back to how much I love New Hampshire and how much I miss the landscape there.
NH in winter and summer

A few days later, I drove past a gas station near my home where I noticed a man putting gas into his Jaguar. Next to him, a homeless man was sitting on the curb. Immediately, I thought “this is California. I see equal amounts of luxury cars and homeless people all the time.” The film reminded me of the natural and understated beauty I miss, and the scene at the gas station reminded me of the unfortunate extremes in wealth and livelihood here. 

I often find myself longing for more affordability, a quieter area in nature, and less people. I love the beauty and community here, but look forward to the thought of potentially being somewhere quieter, among subtle and unspoiled and less-discovered beauty someday.
The Monterey peninsula