Pasadena is my Zion

that's the conclusion i've come to.

why do i love living here so much?

here's why:

i'm smack dab in the middle of driving distance to visiting all my family.

my family is here and most of ian's.

the diversity is perfect.

i love our dentists, doctors, and all other "service" industries that we've finally found and picked and that work for us ~ from car places to jewelery repair guys and cleaners.

you can't beat the weather. seriously people.

we almost live at the base of the foothills and that's a beautiful thing.

any kind of foreign dish we may want to eat is readily available and within worthwhile driving distance.

i like my gym.

i love that i can get a great/affordable facial, pedicure, and massage ($15/hr)! right out my backdoor.

i recognize that living 35 minutes from the mountains and 35 minutes from the beach is an awesome thing.

the friends. oh the friends. now friendship is something that is not replaceable.

character, charm, and whimsy. that's what this little city has.

descanso gardens, the huntington, and arboretum ~ we don't have to go far for unbelievable beauty.

which leads to the roaming and wild peacocks and parrots that frequent our neighborhoods.

flea markets, antique shops, junk stores, and one-of-a-kind ma' and pa' shops.

there are so many old and beautiful churches here in pasadena ~ of all faiths and on many occasions as i drive thru town i stop in front of them and admire their beauty.

there is an abundance of trees and flowers that keep color all year long and it's the jacarandas trees that silently pulled at my heart strings when i lived out of state ~ take my breath away.

i love the great hikes we can take that are practically in our backyard.

from many peaks in the city you can catch a glimpse, on a clear day, of a view of l.a. and when the sun is setting perfectly you can see the ocean too.

i enjoy the quaint boutiques i have found over the years.

i like that each of my neighbors are from all over the world.

i love all the farmers markets but esp the one i can walk to at the end of my street on saturday.

trader joes is in abundance here in pasadena and it's where it got it's start.

macy's on lake.

juliennes. that place has thee best breakfast food on this planet.

king taco. my most favorite mexican food joint in the state.

the rosebowl is thee place to be from 5pm on. everyone gathers to run, walk, jog, ride, and exercise. it's where some of us learned to drive too.

world famous rose parade on new years day. every new years eve of my childhood was spent on the parade route with my bro, a friend and my dad spending the night with us. memories.

from museums, to park, to restaurants, to events and well known neighborhoods this place is HOME SWEET HOME and truly an amazing place to live.