California vs Carolina

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I've now been living in Cali enough to start noticing differences and similarities. 

Did you know San Jose is the 10th most populated city in the country? COUNTRY. Not state. Raleigh was the 2nd largest in the STATE. There's always a crowd out and about. I've traveled through all of the major interstates and people seem less likely to honk at you or stay on your bumper, but more likely to just speed up and fly around you. Of course, I havent driven during rush hour yet, so I could be way out of base. I went to Target one morning at 8:15, right after it opened, and still had to wait in line to check out with three lanes open. ALL THEY PEOPLE! 

Yes, people are very nice here, but, no nicer than they are in North Carolina? Maybe.. Cashiers/clerks/waiters are all very nice and friendly, but I'm chatty so I normally always ended up striking a conversation and thinking "awe, they were so NICE!" and it's the same here. 

There's definitely a different break up of demographics. Raleigh is listed as 57.5% White, 29.3% Black, 11.3% Hispanic and 4.3% Asian, meanwhile San Jose is 28.7% White, 2.9% Black, 33.2% Hispanic and 31.7% Asian. I'm definitely learning how to hear different dialects and have conversations anyway, and people are generally very friendly. San Jose is also the HEART of silicon valley. Google, Zynga, Facebook, eBay, and even NASA are in my back yard. It's neat. 

SIDE NOTE: Can someone please tell me how to meet people when you no longer go to school and don't really hang out at bars anymore? 

I have two favorite perks so far. 

ONE is the orange tree in my backyard. 

yes!

We originally thought that sucker was a lemon tree, but nope, I walked out yesterday and picked myself a snack and a fresh lime to use with dinner. PRETTY AWESOME if you ask me. 

There's also a rosemary bush and a large pine tree, both of which Shiva loves to run next to, so she always smells awesome. The Second Perk? A bottle of wine that I normally bought in NC for $17.99 is $5.99 here. Wine is CHEAP this close to wine country, and I am happy to help with the overstock. 

Speaking of grocery shopping, you know that you're in Cali when there's 6 different "off brands" of granola and dried cranberries but none for Poptarts and Coke and treet meat is no where to be found.

I'm adjusting and learning and I think in time, I'll feel right at home here.