Thanks for sharing such a fine memory. My story is nearly the opposite of yours. Born and raised in south L.A. (San Diego:), I thought I’d never want to live anywhere else .

My husband’s employer packed up his business and moved to Carson City 30 years ago in summer. There was snow year-long in the Sierras then, and our first snow storm in the valley was on Labor Day.

When I go back to the coast, I feel claustrophobic and weighted down by the heavy air. I need to breathe fresh, cold desert air and hike into the foothills nearby to have a view of one mountain range after another.