Right now, I live in a suburban neighborhood in San Mateo that is right next to a small pond. The pond used to be clear and OK for people to swim in and have fun, but ever since some sewage inadvertently spilled into the area, the waterfront location has given us a great view but little else, as nobody is really willing to swim in the water or go for a ride in a canoe. However, the situation has been improving, and recently we witnessed hundreds of people show up on our street to take part in a regatta that was happening on the beach right behind us, a competition between UC Berkeley and Stanford. Here is a picture of the pond:

I really enjoy the climate of our town because it never really changes throughout the year. One of my teachers has called it a Mediterranean climate, which means that it always stays a constant and comfortable temperature, perfect for those who enjoy being outdoors and enjoying a leisurely life seven days of the week, 365 days a year. What I enjoy most about this climate is that I never have to worry about wearing heavy clothes (even though I do so anyway just because I’m used to wearing baggy sweaters) and my parents never have to spend too much time poring over their heating bills and finding ways to stay economical on using natural gas. However, one bad thing about this weather is that it gets somewhat boring after a while; I begin to look forward to rain and I hope that some freak snowfall may strike our town just to get some variation in the sky. Also, there are no snow days; although we did have one “storm day” when I was a freshman in high school due to poor drainage of the school, the problem has been fixed and we now go through our classes, rain or shine.

In my hometown in Massachusetts, I looked forward to snow days every December, January, and February. They would inevitably sprout up in the school schedule, when there was simply too much of this white, fluffy, chilly stuff for the custodians to shovel out of the way for cars to get through. Getting to stay home and not worry about homework–or anything for that matter–was a blast. I usually stayed snug and warm in bed, flipping through channels on the TV, watching a movie or playing a game, or going out for a sleepover with some friends where we would make some popcorn and have an Adam Sandler marathon. I’d also go outside, build snowmen and snow forts, and fight with my neighbors in massive snowball wars that would last for over an hour at times. Summers in Massachusetts were great as well, because the warmth and brightness of the day were much more intense and the grass in that place was much more green and lush. However, one thing I could NOT stand was the few days during July and August when the thermostat would ratchet up to over 100 degrees farhenheit and I would be stuck inside with wonderful air-conditioning but also with nothing to do.

Besides the weather, the main difference between my hometown in the East Coast and my existence here is the level of rapport among myself and the neighbors. Living in a condominium complex very close to my neighbors, I made friends with a lot of the neighborhood kids and my parents knew basically everyone else in the area, especially since our place was rather cloistered from the rest of the town, set off about a half a mile into the wilderness from the main street that led into the small town center. Now that we live in a house in the middle of the suburbs in a city with a large population, my family and our neighbors are acquaintances with each other but we know little about each other beyond our faces and car brands. Still, I enjoy living in San Mateo because there is a ton of culture and sophistication here. Staying here and going to Aragon High School is a worthwhile experience.