First Contact With California Republic - San Diego

These past few weeks have been a testament to how sinusoidal the nomad life can be. I have had to deal with some dental emergencies, became a part of a solopreneurship mastermind group, watched some old businesses fade away, and saw new opportunities open up. It is important to appreciate the good things happening to you as well as to stick through the challenges and hard times. A little weekend getaway can always help you get your thoughts straight. During my travels around the US, I've only really seen Arizona and its vast desert, so I was excited to go and explore the coast of Southern California, spending a weekend in the city many of my friends from the states call "the most laid back." Here are some of my honest thoughts and feelings after spending 3 days in San Diego.

Climate, Nature & the Economy

Firstly, the drive from Phoenix to San Diego is interesting. For the first two hours, you're surrounded by nothing but desert and endless roads—no turns, just straight paths. The most interesting part was the mile-long cargo trains operated by Union Pacific which made me ponder: how has the US built a vast railway network for cargo trains but almost none for passenger trains? I'm stunned by the vastness of this country but even more so by the lack of a network of high-speed trains.

Someone once told me that what makes California special is the combination of nature, climate, and economy. You can often find two out of three in other places in the world but rarely all three together. Driving through Southern California, I thought that some of the vegetation and nature reminded me of Northern Spain or Italy. Yet, the climate was so different—stable at over 20 degrees Celsius with no drastic changes overnight. This is my preferred type of weather.

Freetime in the Outdoors

The stable weather makes for a fantastic playground for anyone who loves the outdoors, offering activities like surfing, hiking, running, trail running, beach volleyball, climbing, triathlons, and much more. My favourite part of the weekend was the morning walks on the beach, seeing the number of people engaging in sports. Naturally, running at 20°C feels much better than running at 45°C, which I have been experiencing in Phoenix recently, so more people are drawn into running and sports. Overall, there is so much natural beauty and outdoor experiences around here. Already planning trips to Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia, and other national parks!

Also, how could I leave San Diego without being able to say that I surfed at Pacific Beach? I didn't mind that, due to a sea storm, the colour of the Pacific Ocean was more brown than blue, or that with every paddle I hit numerous seaweed leaves, or that I only managed to catch one baby wave.

Community

Now, this is a thing that I have been thinking about since I arrived in the US. I have utilized my Global WeWork membership to get some work done occasionally from various coworking spaces, but to my surprise, I have not managed to build any sort of network. Hello? Working in over 20 different countries in three years, I've never faced such a struggle to build a network and create any kind of social circle. On my travels, I have met dozens of Americans with whom I bonded effortlessly, and some of them became my best friends. I even started dating one of them. My girlfriend's family and friends are from Arizona, which made it much easier to meet some great people and create meaningful connections.

Yet, it seems like a struggle to create any kind of friendship with strangers in this country. Everyone seems to be very much preoccupied with their own lives and their issues. You cannot fault them for that, as no one else is ever going to take care of you and your life but yourself. However, having lived a very community-driven life in the past years, it has been a hard change, and it has taken time for me to adapt to the fact that life works differently in some places.

I reached out to my friends and digital nomads from the US, asking if there are any communities they would recommend for me to become a part of. Sadly, no one could direct me to one. However, one person said something that resonated with me.

The USA is the country with the highest number of digital nomads. With over 17.3 million people identifying as such.  To quote my friend Richard:

"Most nomads are Americans, it's largely because we couldn't find community in the US, so we have to travel the world for it"

Make of that what you will.

The Issues No One Wants To Talk About

The most shocking part of planning this trip was trying to figure out accommodation. Jamie gave me a subtle warning to book it far enough away from the "camps"—infamous tent cities set up around downtown San Diego. I had seen the videos and pictures online and read stories about fentanyl addiction. What I did not expect was to find people smoking crack right in front of million-dollar mansions by the ocean or to see needles on the ground while walking to have pizza on the cliffs with friends. This experience inspired me to look up some data on drug overdoses in the US, and the numbers were staggering.

Certainly, this is a topic that deserves deeper attention, but I was flabbergasted by the number of homeless and drug-addicted people. Who failed them? How did they end up in such situations? I am keen to learn more.

I quoted "mansions" because houses being sold for over $1 million in the famous OB/PB neighbourhoods look more like shacks. Another thing that strikes me is why anyone who works in a global industry like tech, finance, or supply chain, and has the ability to work remotely, would spend their money on overpriced property in places like San Diego. I know my perspective has been shaped by three years of digital nomadism, realizing how important it is to make your income go far, but this has shocked me beyond my expectations.

This picture shows a one-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Ocean Beach listed for over $1 million. It certainly does not look like a wise investment to me, especially when you can get a house 3 times bigger for a fifth of the price in places like Portugal, Italy, or Spain.

To conclude, I do not want to sound overly negative. I'm just sharing the perspective of a newcomer to the US. Growing up in the Eastern Bloc, this country has always been seen as the land of opportunities, a place where you can make your dreams come true. Somehow, what I have seen so far has been very different from what I expected.

I'm eager to learn more and excited to explore more corners of this land. As mentioned earlier, I'm astounded by its vastness and natural beauty. That's where my steps will lead next.