“I’m ready to move on to the next phase of my life,” said the woman I was overhearing. “I mean, I don’t want to die here.”

I know what she means. As much as I loved LA, the eventual feeling that I didn’t want to die in traffic on the freeway or rushing from place to place or crowded among the masses of people there is what made me look for somewhere else to live.

And that’s how we ended up here.

I love it here. I feel comfortable, at peace, and yes, like this is a place I want to die. On most days, we take at least a few minutes, or sometimes, several hours, just to be in this place and enjoy it. That’s what makes this home.