If you’re a California transplant and have moved away from southern California over the last few years then you’ll recognize the term ‘hot carrots’. Its something I loved to eat with my carne asada burritos from my local taco shop and I knew if or when I moved I would certainly miss my family & friends but I would also miss the authentic Mexican food!

So when I found hot carrots in my local grocery, I jumped for joy, well I didn’t actually jump but I knew it was the small things in life that makes me happy. I finally could have my hot carrots with my favorite food! I’ve become quite a good cook and make a mean salsa.

I’ve been gone for almost 4 years, and I do miss my family & friends the most. And its funny I don’t miss the Mexican food so much because I’ve found my dishes are as good if not better than what I got there. I’ve also found all the great local taco shops and although not all are as good, some are comparable to most of the shops in San Diego. But I do miss a few things about the city of San Diego — I miss Balboa Park, the Zoo, Horton Plaza, Extraordinary Desserts, the brunch at Hotel Del, the weather from November thru March (but the summers have gotten too hot)! And even though I miss those things, I don’t miss them enough to move back — I just visit a few times a year, get a fix, visit my family and friends, then come back to my beautiful home in Colorado! The positives of living in a small mountain town in Colorado outweighs any of the things I miss about the city of San Diego. And I visit often enough that missing my family & friends is bearable. Although, I keep trying to convince them to move to Colorado.

Additionally a new airline, Express Jet, has recently been created that offers direct flights from Colorado Springs to San Diego at a great price — you can fly round-trip for under 200 bucks! So now it isn’t the cost of the flight that keeps me from going so much as the time it takes to plan to go although I think I’ll be spending more time in San Diego over the next few months!

Are there any other California transplants with similar feelings?