What I Like/Dislike About Returning to SLO

It's no secret that I adore life on the coast.  I am a California girl at heart and in the 8 years that we've been gone, I've never felt like anything other than a California girl.  We've been back almost a month and getting back into the groove of things.  Here are some of the things I love (and don't love) about being back.

Likes About Returning to the Central Coast
1. The beach! (< 2 miles away)
2. Our friends here.  We've already had several get togethers with old friends.
3. The fresh ocean air
4. No traffic!  Ahhhhhh.
5. The kids' school.  The academics are much stronger.  Everyone is more organized.  We love the principal.
6. Being less than 4 hours from either set of grandparents and from the kids' only cousins
7. Biking next to the ocean.  And not as many hills.  (I do have gripes about biking here, see below)
8. My gas stove!!!
9. Laundry room inside my house.
10. The house is all one level and we have a "bonus" room.
11. Garbage pick up EVERY week (with a bigger can).  It was twice a month in PDX, and a small can.  It was difficult to make it work for our family of four.
12. I'll be able to help make tamales with my grandma for the first time since 2004.  YUM!
13. Flip flop season nearly year round.
14. There's going to be a LOT more comfortable outdoor time.  The weather doesn't fluctuate much here.  60º-80º year round (a little cooler at night, maybe down to 55).
15. The small town feel of living here (it is just a group of small towns in this county...love it!)

Dislikes About Returning to the Central Coast
1. Having to start the nursing program over; I had been hoping to transfer in, but that is not going to work out.  :/  Hopefully, I will get in for 2014.  I really don't want to be 3 years behind, rather than just two.
2. Peter can no longer bike commute and we will need to buy a 2nd car soon after over a year as a one-car family.
2. Paying sales tax
3. Higher cost of living
4. No church family(yet).  We miss our Imago family so much!!!
5. No airport nearby.  There is an airport in SLO, but only has one major airline and the tickets are outrageous (roundtrip to Portland would cost over $600 bucks!)  As comparison, a roundtrip to Portland from Burbank, the closest "big" airport (it's not big) is about $350-$400.
6. Living on a semi-busy street.  Kids can't play in the street anymore (we lived on a cul-de-sac the past four years, so they're used to that).
7. The "high" toilets in our house.  ADA toilets aren't meant for people with short legs like me...
8. The tap water is gross.  Even with the Britta.
9. The library system here just isn't good.  They charge for book transfers for other branches.  $1 per item!  And not as much variety.
10. I miss Freddy's.  And New Seasons.  The grocery stores here just aren't up to snuff.
11. The streets are not bike-friendly.  Some of them have bike lanes, and a few of the roads are smooth.  But, most of them are "rocky" or without bike lanes.
12. Not having 4 seasons.  Fall is my favorite time of year and I know it won't look very fallish around here.  Plus, I heard that the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a snowy winter for the PNW.  :/
13. It's difficult to "shop local".  There aren't a lot of locally owned restaurants or stores.  And the ones there are, well, they are toooooo expensive.
14. I miss my Portland friends....