When my husband and I first moved to San Diego two decades ago, we were full of midwestern optimism — I refuse to call it naivete. Aaron had secured his first job out of college, …
June 14, 2023
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Stories by Siobhan Braun
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San Diegans who snagged a home to buy
The extremes San Diegans endure to make ends meet
A few months ago, I received one those scam message from a fake Instagram account. The user photo depicted a grinning, bearded man wearing a puffy vest. He looked like someone who owned a cabin …
April 12, 2023
In-Ko-Pah’s Desert View Tower, the edge of nowhere
Party at the snakes' place The joke is that nobody is from here, because we are on the edge of nowhere, but, sure as snake’s teeth, the right kind of folks will settle just about …
April 10, 2023
Tierrasanta trails – guerrillas vs. vigilantes
Trails of Tierrasanta paved with good intentions On weekends, in the canyons surrounding San Diego’s community of Tierrasanta, urban guerrillas hack through chapparal with picks and other tools, transforming once-narrow coyote paths into smooth, broad …
March 13, 2023
San Diegans tell weird roommate stories
Worst roommates "I was sleeping and I woke up to a noise. I didn’t know what it was. Greg comes flying into my room. He throws my door open. He has his hands over his …
February 26, 2023
I try to be a Certified Nursing Assistant in El Cajon
When I turned 39, I took an inventory of my life. What I found there struck me thoroughly unremarkable. At best, it seemed my world and the life I had made in it could be …
February 15, 2023
Jacumba – the next Palm Springs?
Entering Jacumba Hot Springs — a “census designated place” in the high desert just north of the Mexican border some 70 miles east of San Diego proper — is like stepping into a Steinbeck novel, …
January 11, 2023
How Covid tore San Diego friends and neighbors apart
When the shutdown started, I was working at a preschool in Hillcrest. I can still picture my director walking down the stairs from her office above my classroom to tell us it was time to …
December 7, 2022
What the Brenda Spencer shooting tells us about Uvalde
Simpson surveys surroundingsIt takes Mike Simpson 25 steps to reach his parked car from the emergency exit at work. Once in the car, he can maneuver his way out of the parking lot, around the …
November 23, 2022
Catholic, Jew, Mormon – Gen Z San Diegans deeper than you would imagine
According to the Pew Research Center, Gen Z — people born after 1997 and before 2012 — is the least religious generation since people began paying attention to such things. Nearly one third of Gen …
September 14, 2022
Pummeled at Coronado's North Beach
Local? I moved here two years ago from Big Bear. What brought you to San Diego? I was a snow sports coach and skiing and snowboarding instructor for about 22 years. Because of Covid and …
August 18, 2022
OnlyFans site pushes adult content from home
From Disney to DareOnlyFans star Dare Taylor began posing in front of a camera when she was 18 and working as a Disney World princess. Theme park fans approached her about doing photoshoots and modeling, …
August 17, 2022
When you mess up, just say sorry.
Local? Yes, from La Mesa How long have you been surfing? I first started surfing when I was like 11. I really started getting into it when I was 16 and I finally had a …
August 11, 2022
The only inequality I experience is that I am an extreme amateur.
Local? Yes How often do you surf? During the summer, a couple of days a week, at least. Who taught you how to surf? As a kid growing up in San Diego, I went to …
August 4, 2022
It is hard, so when you do catch a wave, it’s really incredible.
Local? No, I am from Minnesota What brought you to San Diego? Mainly the weather When did you learn how to surf? I learned when I first moved here. I am still learning every time …
July 28, 2022
"People should stop being eggy, like leave that at home."
Local? Yes, I live in Point Loma. How long have you been surfing? I was 11 years old when I really got into surfing. My dad taught me how to surf out at Tourmaline when …
July 14, 2022
Keep Paddling
Local?: Yes, I live in Chula Vista How long have you been surfing? I have been surfing on and off for 20-25 years. I still have a lot to learn. My dad taught me and …
July 7, 2022
Be habitual, baby!
Locals? No, Bobby is from Boston and Zach is from Indiana. How Long have you been surfing? Bobby: 3-4 years Zach: A couple of weeks, Bobby is teaching me. Bobby: Not really, we are learning …
June 30, 2022
Potato Chip Rock, The Barn, Barona Drags, Oasis Camel Dairy, the Turkey Inn, goat yoga
As Lakeside fades in my rearview and Ramona’s foothills loom in before me, I inhale my surroundings. Despite 20 years of living in San Diego, my Midwestern heart has yet to normalize the Western movie …
June 22, 2022
"Anything I need to do later in the day seems manageable after I go surfing"
Locals? Will: No, we grew up in Phoenix but have lived here for ten years. I just graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder. Jack: I go to TCU in Texas. Was it hard being …
June 14, 2022
"Whoever is having the most fun, is the best surfer"
Local? Yes. I grew up Leucadia. How often do you surf? About twice a week. When did you learn how to surf? I started surfing when I was really young, probably about five years old. …
June 7, 2022
"I am grumpy before I get in the water and less so when I get out…. usually."
Local? No, I’m from Iowa. I moved here about 3 years ago for the ocean. Had you ever surfed before prior moving to San Diego? I spent one winter here before moving learning how to …
May 31, 2022
2022 Summer Fun Issue
The other night at dinner, the Young People asked the Old People, “How do you know when you’re an adult?” Your humble Editor’s answer: “When you realize that life is no longer play that gets …
Surfing secluded breaks makes it much more of an adventure.
Do you go to school here? No, I am in high school. I go to the Waldorf School. Are you ditching school right now to surf? No… I mean, kind of. It’s senior ditch day. …
May 24, 2022
Alyssa Angulo, Dax Newman, Lauren Green, Andrea Miller hit TikTok big
Twenty-year-old Alyssa Angulo did not set out to become an influencer. Neither did 22-year-old Dax Newman. And yet, social media has afforded both of them the luxury of forgoing the traditional 9-5. “It’s kind of …
May 18, 2022
“Cherish those moments because you never know when the waves are gonna be that good again.”
Are you a local? No, I am originally from Bakersfield What brought you out to San Diego? Growing up my buddy had surf posters on his walls that I used to look at. I told …
May 17, 2022
“Try to be present in the water and enjoy it for what it is.”
Local? No. I am originally from outside of Chicago How long have you been surfing? I started about 5 years ago when I came out here as a UCSD undergrad student. How often do you …
April 26, 2022
I came out here for cliff jumping but I picked up surfing
Local? Nope, New Hampshire native How did you get into surfing? I’ve been living in California for the last three years. Originally, I came out here for cliff jumping but I picked up surfing. I’ve …
April 19, 2022
When people recommend starting with a foam board, you really should start with a foam board!
How often do you surf? For the past ten months, I have managed to surf two or three times a week. Have you seen a big improvement over 10 months? Yes! I went from not …
April 5, 2022
Probably how Jesus felt when he was walking on water
Local? Yes, I’m from the San Ysidro area. How long have you been surfing? I have always liked the water. My family is like deathly afraid, so they didn’t really let me go out there …
March 29, 2022
La Mesa mom chases her stolen car to South Park canyon
Only 19 days into 2022, I managed both to contract Omicron and have my car stolen. When I attempted to pinpoint the origin of my terrible car-ma, the only thing I could come up with …
March 16, 2022
In my younger years, school wasn’t my thing. Surfing was.
Local? I am from Encinitas, and I work in Coronado as a lifeguard. How long have you been surfing? 30 years. My whole family surfs—my dad, my uncle, my cousins, my brother. I started when …
March 15, 2022
“Sometimes at Blacks, the dolphins will jump over you.”
Local? Yes, I’m from Bonita. I live in Chula Vista now. My commute [to this beach] is only about 10 minutes. When did you take up surfing? About 9 years ago. I started after high …
March 8, 2022
“I am like, ‘Let’s get in there and do it!’”
Local? No I am originally from Bakersfield. I am a pipe fitter, so I travel around a lot for work. I’ve been in Ocean Beach for the last 6 months. When did you start surfing? …
March 1, 2022
Seals are the real locals
How long have you been surfing? Chris: We're brothers. Our dad started taking us out surfing when we were like 6. Tom: It was really tough learning. I gave up probably after the first year. …
February 15, 2022
“I would appreciate it if locals were nicer to people like us who drive an hour just to surf.”
What brought you out this far away from South Pasadena? Grant: We came for the swell! How often do you guys surf? Will: As much as we can. Jaden: If the waves are good, like …
February 8, 2022
San Diego's freedivers have the freedom to die
The history of freediving is so rich in La Jolla that diving in its cove is akin to a Catholic visiting Rome: maybe it didn’t all start there, but that’s where it really hit big. …
February 2, 2022
"Anticipating what the waves are going to do, is definitely the hardest part."
Are you a local? No, I’m originally from Michigan. I moved out here about 4 years ago. How long have you been surfing? I have been surfing for 4 years. I grew up wakeboarding and …
January 25, 2022
"Meet every moment as a friend, and don’t try to change things"
How long have you been surfing? About 3 years. I have always loved snowboarding and it is kind of the same mentality. The body mechanics are very similar, it was an easy transition for me. …
January 18, 2022
Find a group of friends that you can suck with.
Are you a local? I grew up here, but I live in Chicago now. I’m here visiting my family. Favorite thing about surfing? I like the fun of progressing. It’s a technical skill that’s very …
January 11, 2022
“I like getting out of the concrete jungle and getting lost out there.”
How long have you been surfing? Erik: “I have been out in the ocean since I was 6 or 7 and surfing since I was 10.” Kristen: “I started surfing when I was around 6.” …
December 21, 2021