You can't go home again

I've always wanted to be knee deep in red poppy fields. I've been to the lavender fields of Provence and that was a wonderful experience. Next I have always wanted to be in a poppy field at the height of its season and here I was, in Morocco, just half an hour outside of Marrakech. The great thing about hiring a grand taxi, even though it is expensive, is we can ask the driver to stop at any time. I spotted this field and I couldn't resist by telling him to 'arret', or 'stop' in French. I got out, ran over a litle bridge and made straight for the poppies. Mind you, its not as if we don't have wild flowers growing all around us in Southern California. In fact, Morocco is very similar to Southern California in weather and terrain. Just 1 mile from where I live is the Ballona creek and right now the white and yellow wild flowers are blooming like the weeds that they are. About 40 miles away in Carlsbad, the Ranunculus fields are at the height of their blooming season. I saw on TV last night the orange colored California poppy is blooming in the desert not too far away in Lancaster. I loved the Moroccan landscape and I ask myself, 'do they (the Moroccans) know how lucky they are, to live in such a beautiful place?' I ask the same question of myself,'do I know how lucky I am to live in Southern California?' I do know that I am lucky and am thankful.
We met some wonderful people in Morocco. A young man on the train wanted to practise his English with us, we didn't mind. They like the USA more than we realise, more than the press would have us know. Everyone still wants to come to the USA because of the successes of the founders of Google. He'd prefer to come to the USA. What do you do in Europe as an immigrant? Dishwasher? Waiter? A German tourist once asked me on a train in Sicily,'if I had to choose, which country would I most like to emigrate to?' I still say, the USA. He asked why. I replied, it is only in the USA that an immigrant like me could make the kind of money I make, only the USA could and would use and value my contribution and skills.
We met other tourists, both foreign and American. Most of the Americans came in organised tours. The Europeans are mostly independent travelers like us. The German girl traveled for 2 and 1/2 years and when she finally returned to Hamburg, Germany, she couldn't fit in anymore. So she left and now lives in the Canary islands with her Spanish husband. She couldn't go home again.
As I did my morning walk, I saw the million dollar house on the hill (like mine) has been sold. The flowers in my neighborhood yards are blooming in such profusion, much like the wild flowers in Morocco. I saw pruple lupines, the orange and yellow nasturtiums, the pint Simplicity roses, the purple wisteria, the purple lavender and so much more. I am lucky to be living here. I can come home again. I am home.