Orange County and San Diego shaped the happy memories of my youth?and my adulthood.

March is that wonderful preview to a vivid spring. A season of fresh blooms that inevitably follows as the rains fall and sunshine basks over freshly regenerated vegetation, reminding us that bright colors and suntan days have all but arrived. It signifies the final days of winter as the snow melts back into the rich Southern California soil, and the promise of flip-flops and shorts is only a few weeks away.

Orange County and San Diego are communities that vastly differ and yet both offer something unique. I lived in the OC for 10 years during the early 2000s, and as young girl, I spent family vacations trotting from LA to San Diego. I have a fondness for both places as so many happy memories stem from moments experienced that shaped my youth?and my adulthood.

Now that I?m older and my appreciation for California only deepens, traversing the local terrain is more than a mere flight of fancy. Options for community engagement are near limitless, so this month why not find a social movement to join, a cannabis brand to favor, or a Wonderland to melt into? There is so much to look forward to, including yoga in Carlsbad?s fields of freshly bloomed flowers, meandering into unique storefronts in San Clemente, or sitting seaside watching surfers paddle out in Huntington Beach.

There was a social media frenzy last month

Editor’s Note: Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD

With the fate of our society dangling by a very fragile thread and as we all hunker down for what is bound to be a very long and trying political race, perhaps March can be a chance to regroup. Find a place to meditate, to gather your thoughts, to pause. Slow the chaos of the outside world with a stroll on Crystal Cove beach. Or enjoy the love and community exemplified in the seals and sea lions of La Jolla Beach Cove.

So, as you thumb through the pages of our March issue, my hope for each of you is that you seize the opportunity to live outside your comfort zones. See life from someone else?s perspective and revel in your differences. It will broaden your appreciation for the world.

Live brightly,