The Sunday Paper: California Dreaming


Los Angeles, the city that I have called home now for the past 12 years, was once merely a dream to me. And as I look at it wherever I go, I always enjoy coming back to LA. I think I appreciate it even more stepping outside it for a period of time, and no matter what I do, I tend to gravitate towards California. I have looked at moving to the East Coast but was drawn back to LA. I even looked at moving back to Sydney, but still, LA drew me back. Sometimes I think the grass is gonna be greener elsewhere, but we do have it pretty good here in LA. Sure, there are a lot of negatives about the place, but I prefer to focus on the positives. I don’t feel like any place is perfect. As I think I’ve mentioned before, LA wasn’t originally my first choice of places to live either. Originally I had my heart set on New York, and that was affirmed to me when I visited there for the first time in 2008 that I was set on it. But LA slowly grew on me, and before I knew it, I was living here and I never looked back. At first, it was an afterthought of sorts, and then slowly it began to dominate my thought process.

The Sunday Paper: California Dreaming

I think it makes perfect sense for me to be here. Great weather, great food, great coffee, not too far from New York if I needed to get there, closer to Europe than Sydney and a straight flight to Sydney for when I need to go back for business or to catch up with family. Not to mention, the clothing production industry is all here in LA. Every time I leave and come back, I realize just how great we have it here, and I do embrace it all. I like a good hike in Griffith Park. I can always go to the beach if I wanted to and can even hit the snow as well if I so desired, even in the same day, which I always thought was a pretty cool novelty even if I never do it. I love driving through Beverly Hills and dreaming of more and driving down Melrose Avenue and seeing all the boutiques, mine included. Sometimes I think the grass is always greener elsewhere, but for me Los Angeles tops the list. Sure it ain’t perfect, but I love it for what it is. It's one big melting pot that is equal parts tacky as it is tasteful, laid back as it is fast paced. I think it suits my speed, and I’m glad to call it home.
Daniel Patrick

The Sunday Paper: California Dreaming