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I moved from Connecticut to California. I loved it, but felt so relieved when I returned to New England years later.

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I moved from Connecticut to California. I loved it, but felt so relieved when I returned to New England years later.


In 2015, my boyfriend (now husband) was accepted to a graduate program in Southern California.

With nothing tying me down to our home state of Connecticut, I moved across the country with him. We stayed in California for over six years — and I spent most of my 20s there — but we ultimately chose to return to New England in 2021.

Yes, California really is that expensive


California Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach is beautiful, but living near it comes with high prices.

Carly Neil

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It costs a lot to live anywhere nowadays, but Southern California takes that notion to a whole new level.

Perhaps our biggest motivator for moving back home was California’s affordability (or lack thereof). According to World Population Review, the Golden State ranks third among the most expensive US states to live in in 2024.

Connecticut is also pricey (it falls in the top 15), but once you live in Southern California, most of the country feels like a discount.

From Los Angeles to San Diego, the entire region of Southern California is well above average regarding median home price, yet another metric of unaffordability.

We definitely felt the strain of struggling to pay the rent in one of the most expensive areas in the nation.

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I prefer the quieter, slower pace of New England


Dog on Beach in Connecticut

I enjoy our slow dog walks and chill vibes in Connecticut.

Carly Neil



We lived in Orange County, one of the most densely populated counties in the nation, just south of Los Angeles, one of the most populous cities in the US.

It was very rare to find any sense of escape or solitude in the immediate area. Traffic and light pollution were constant.

Meanwhile, in Connecticut, there are far more small towns where things close at 8 p.m. It’s normal to drive miles without passing another car.

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Those may be drawbacks for some people, but it’s peaceful to me.

We missed being close to family


Connecticut Beach Landscape

Connecticut has beaches, too.

Carly Neil



Another major draw to moving back to Connecticut was the proximity to our families.

My husband and I were both born and raised in Connecticut. We had no immediate family on the West Coast.

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Although we built a chosen family with dear friends over the years in California, we felt a near-constant undercurrent of homesickness. This was only exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Flights to the East Coast were also expensive, which caused us much financial stress whenever we visited home (see my point above about how expensive it is to live in California).

The weather in California was beautiful, but it became monotonous


Fall foliage in connecticut

There’s nothing like fall foliage in New England.

Carly Neil



I would never suggest someone move across the country only because of the weather. However, it became a factor in why we grew tired of living in California.

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The warm, sunny weather is as lovely as everyone says, but after growing up in New England, I realized I much preferred the changing seasons.

Fall, for example, is my favorite time of year in Connecticut. But in California, the fall only means more heat — sometimes this season has the hottest days of the year.

Every September, I grew jealous of my friends on the East Coast enjoying cooler temperatures and hot lattes while I was melting.

As relieved as I am to be back home, I would consider moving back to California one day


Author Carly Neil in Disneyland

I did enjoy being somewhat close to Disneyland.

Carly Neil

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There are a lot of things in California I miss — the beautiful and diverse landscape, the low humidity (especially in the summer), the major attractions (I was about 30 minutes from Disneyland), the rich variety of cultures, the food, and my friends.

California became our home in the years we lived there, and I still feel like we barely scratched the surface of all the state has to offer.

So, if opportunity knocks, I’m very open to heading back west.

In the meantime, however, I’m very happy with my decision to return to Connecticut. The slower pace, relative affordability, and proximity to our families have been huge gains since moving back.

And if I do find myself back in California one day, I will be making the trek back to New England every fall.

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Connecticut

5 Connecticut towns to receive $2M each for infrastructure upgrades

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5 Connecticut towns to receive M each for infrastructure upgrades


HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.

The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.

The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.

Cost Breakdown

Coventry: $2 million

Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

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Guilford: $2 million

The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.

Ledyard: $2 million

The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.

Mansfield: $2.2 million

Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.

Thomaston: $2.5 million

Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.


Download the News 8 app to get breaking news and weather alerts.

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Watch News 8 on WTNH.com or the free WTNH News 8 streaming app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and select Samsung Smart TVs.



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Do you work or volunteer for CT’s emergency medical services? We want to hear from you.

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Do you work or volunteer for CT’s emergency medical services? We want to hear from you.


ProPublica and The Connecticut Mirror, two nonprofit newsrooms, are examining the state’s emergency medical services and what it takes to provide lifesaving care across the state. If you work or volunteer for emergency medical services in Connecticut, we need your help. 

We know that the state’s emergency medical services have been strained for years, but that doesn’t stop paramedics, emergency medical technicians and emergency medical responders from working around the clock to serve community members in crisis. We have data on ambulance response times, but we know it doesn’t tell a full story about what is happening behind the scenes.  

If you work or volunteer for a Connecticut ambulance corps, a fire department, a law enforcement agency or an emergency room, we want to hear your experience and understand what resources you need to do this lifesaving work. 

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What has changed about emergency medical services since you started? If your ambulance corps needs more staff, what are the challenges to hiring or retaining new people? What do you wish Connecticut residents or lawmakers knew about the state of EMS?

Your input is crucial and will help guide our reporting. We want to understand the issue in all its complexity — from training limitations to worker housing needs to budget cuts, and what that means for your vital work every day. 

You can fill out our brief form to share your experience. Our reporters read through every response and may follow up with you. You can also email CT Mirror reporter Jenna Carlesso and ProPublica reporter Cassandra Garibay at ctemergency@propublica.org if you have any questions or concerns. 

Don’t work for emergency medical services in Connecticut but know someone who does? You can also help by sending this form to them. 

If you have called 911 for a medical emergency, we also want to hear from you. Please fill out our patient experience form.

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This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://ctmirror.org/2026/06/22/connecticut-emergency-medical-services-callout/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://ctmirror.org”>CT Mirror</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://ctmirror.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/cropped-CTMirror_bug_rgb-180×180.jpg” style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>

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Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027

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Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027


Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.  

Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:

I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!

A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.

German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.

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German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.

German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).

Top SCY Times:

  • 50 Freestyle: 23.54
  • 100 Freestyle: 51.35
  • 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
  • 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19

A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.

German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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