Commentary
As a kid growing up in cold Michigan, I was fascinated by California. The Beach Boys were my favorite band. Disney movies were magic. My family took a summer trip to the Golden State in 1964 when I turned nine, traveling from Disneyland up across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Redwoods. I loved spending time in Monterey—still my favorite place—learning Russian for a 52-week course at the Defense Language Institute in 1978-79.
