"laid back California lifestyle" (Los Angeles, San Diego: home, school, living in)

[bluewatergirl888]

I hear so many people say that they want to move to California because the people are so "laid back", and they want that "relaxed surfer lifestyle". I am wondering if this really exists any more. It seems that most people who live in California are working their butts off to make ends meet, and sitting in traffic for hours to and from work. I'm just wondering how many people can have a laid back attitude given this way of life. I would think even those in the entertainment industry would be stressed out, with always having to look good, dealing with the Paparazzi, and just generally having to keep up appearances. What are your thoughts?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by bluewatergirl888

I hear so many people say that they want to move to California because the people are so "laid back", and they want that "relaxed surfer lifestyle". I am wondering if this really exists any more. It seems that most people who live in California are working their butts off to make ends meet, and sitting in traffic for hours to and from work. I'm just wondering how many people can have a laid back attitude given this way of life. I would think even those in the entertainment industry would be stressed out, with always having to look good, dealing with the Paparazzi, and just generally having to keep up appearances. What are your thoughts?

you are probably close to right..I think there are places in Ca where people are very laid back, maybe toward Sonoma and further north, but big city life is just that, big city..Los Angeles, many years ago was slower liviing than say, NYC. I am not sure this is true anymore.

Laid back, slower pace is living in the mid west or smaller states.

Nita

[Sassberto]

the "laid back" thing really means "semi-stoned loser" and it is alive and well.

[JetJockey]

Eh, I live a fairly 'laid back' lifestyle. I work a pretty high stress job, but the people I work with and the facility I work at make it worth it. I hang out at the beach and relax, dont' try to 'keep up with the Jones' etc.

Not all of California is LA and San Francisco

[MtnSurfer]

As a native I can tell you that CA used to be more laid back especially in areas like San Diego and parts of LA. However the drive to get ahead and pay the bills in an ever increasingly expensive state can take away from that laid back feel.

But as Nita menitoned there are parts of CA that are more laid back in general. Those include places outside the larger cities such as where we moved to here in Monterey. Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Grove are small towns and not too crouded even during rush hour. The pace is slower which I like. I have family in Petaluma and Windsor and it is slower paced up there. The whole coast North of SF is slower paced and sleepy.

Now to the whole concept of 'Laid Back.' I grew up in a surfer community in Hermosa and Manhattan Beach and living a more relaxed beach lifestyle was a goal of most residents. Surfing itself helps ppl learn to chill out and relax. Spending a lot of time in the ocean and excercising helps a lot. It is something that has to really be experienced to understand. The challenge is to figure out how be be successful and still laid back. Once one 'grows up' and has to make a living this is a real tension. It is a fine balance between pushing for excellence in one's career and going overboard in chasing the golden carrot. Materialism is very strong in parts of CA. Ppl are really into their toys and keepin' up.
Then there is the other side of the coin which Sassberto referred to which is the basically the pursuit of being laid back at the expense of eveything else including being gainfully employed. Being lazy or a 40 y/o man/child is different from being laid back. I also know ppl who didn't want to grow up. That is the other extreme.

But if one can balance career and the desire to get ahead with learning to appreaciate and enjoy the outdoors, nature, etc... then CA can be a good place live a more laid back lifestyle. This can also be achieved in other areas as well. When I lived in CO I noticed the pace of life was slower than many parts of CA. And much Oregon is slower paced minus the surfing unless one has a tolerance for very cold water.

My 2c,

Derek

[Huckleberry3911948]

the beach boys are for CA what "leave it to beaver" is to the midwest.
fiction.

[krudmonk]

I think it's the general attitude, not so much the daily agenda.

[Mach50]

People are slaves here just like the rest of the US, but you can find enclaves of old school laid back attitude.

If you come into the local bike shop I visit and require fast "stressed out" customer service, the owner will literally kick you out and flip the "went riding" sign on.

[sav858]

It's not like were laying on the beach all day sipping mai-tai's or anything. People here, generally speaking, are not as uptight and in your face as other places like the East Coast. We have a very laissez fair attitude and tend to let things slide more and not care as much, which can be both good and bad imo. People won't get all up in your face and business as much and will kind of have a "whatever" attitude to certain situations that would might otherwise stress or aggravate others. It's just not as faced paced and rushed as the east coast, at least San Diego. LA and SF are more fast paced but the suburbs are still pretty laid back imo. We still gotta to work, pay the bills, and do all the regular stuff as everyone else but we do it w/o stressing out and still know how to enjoy life for the most part. Also when you live around some amazing weather and scenery and take time to enjoy it, it is very relaxing. During summer after a stressful day at work or a after a god awful 1 hour commute home in traffic, going to the beach and watching the sunset really does relax me and helps me forget about a crappy day.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by sav858

It's not like were laying on the beach all day sipping mai-tai's or anything. People here, generally speaking, are not as uptight and in your face as other places like the East Coast. We have a very laissez fair attitude and tend to let things slide more and not care as much, which can be both good and bad imo... We still gotta to work, pay the bills, and do all the regular stuff as everyone else but we do it w/o stressing out and still know how to enjoy life for the most part.

LOL...
C,mon, I thought all Californians sat on the beach all day and drank mai-tais.
Yeah, I think you captured much of what living the lifestyle is about.

I have a friend who lived in Santa Cruz while getting his PhD in Marine Biology. Santa Cruz is a real surfer town and the ppl tend to be generally laid back. He then moved to Tahiti and became one of the chief dolphin researches there. When we vacationed in Tahiti we were a bit surprised how hard he was working and how many hours he was putting in while living in paradise. But he still manages to live laid back I think, however maybe not as much as the locals who live off the land.