Michael Long-time newsletter readers know what the "Lost Coast" is, namely a remote coastal strip 200 miles north of San Francisco, almost near Eureka. Not even Highway 1, which runs along the entire West Coast, goes through here, too mountainous and inaccessible is the area there ( Rundbrief 08/2004 , Rundbrief 10/1998 ). Why we're always drawn back there, is probably because it inhabits a special kind of people, superficially perhaps a bit aloof and eccentric, but on closer inspection very warm and helpful.

Angelika California is used to distress when it comes to natural disasters. Wildfires, earthquakes, and droughts are usually on the agenda. It's a state that not only counts among the most populous, but also has a lot to offer geographically. From the ocean to the high mountains, desert, and rich agricultural land, there is something for everyone. The sparse rainfall in recent years has caused concern, as extreme droughts lead to constant forest fires, not only during the California fire season, usually in September and October. Everyone was longing for rain and this year it came in abundance. This, however, led to catastrophic conditions again, namely to massive floods, landslides, fallen trees, power outages and evacuations.

Angelika The heavy rain also brought some positives with it. The natural water reservoirs in California had not been full in a long time. We therefore hope for a less destructive fire season this year, as the soil and landscape have been well drenched. Also because of the heavy rain, nature is currently pulling out all the stops.

Michael Nowadays, a cellphone camera is usually good enough for decent photos and video recordings, but a perfectionist like myself always looks at it closely and therefore needs professional quality. As luck would have it, Angelika got one of these ultra-modern "system cameras" as a birthday present, which is what Germans call mirrorless cameras. The Sony a7ii, combined with a good (but expensive!) lens, takes breathtaking photos and videos, and I'm also allowed to use it from time to time to revive my original passion for photography and shoot my Youtube-Videos .

Angelika After we had held out for a whopping two years and nine months and had not infected ourselves with Corona, it finally caught up with us both in December 2022, despite two booster shots. Everyone thought that Corona was almost over. We were convinced that we would not get it anymore or maybe already had it without noticing. Then came the Christmas party with my colleagues. It took place in a restaurant, and two days later Michael complained of sore throat.

Angelika The last few times we've been flying from Germany to San Francisco, we noticed that we no longer had to fill out a customs declaration form on the plane. Since we always have a lot of stuff in our luggage when we come from Germany and have to list these items on the form, we were initially a bit confused. Of course, there was no clear messaging about this on the plane. Those of you who are familiar with traveling to the United States know that everyone, including tourists, green card holders, and American citizens, must fill out the so-called "CBP Declaration Form 6059B" upon entering the US.

Michael You probably know that the legal framework here in the U.S. depends heavily on the state you're currently in. Our home state of California, for example, is very quick to pass laws that (allegedly) serve to protect the public, which is why conservative voices give it the label "Nanny State".