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Known as the Village by the Sea, Carlsbad is an ideal beach town with so much to offer everyone, from world-class beaches to shopping and scrumptious dining, to top-rated schools, miles of beautiful trails and lagoons, water sports and attractions. Carlsbad is the home of Legoland and and the famous Flower Fields, the Carlsbad Outlet Center, Palomar Airport and high-end resorts like the Hyatt Park Aviara, Four Seasons Residence Club and the La Costa Resort and Spa.

Northwest Carlsbad borders the city of Oceanside to the North, and is the home of Carlsbad Village, a quaint beach village with an old-town feel. Here you will find incredible restaurants—from casual dining to first class cuisine—and wonderful shopping. You can stroll along the boardwalk, enjoy the clean beaches and a taste of Olde Carlsbad as well, with a few historic buildings. You can also catch the Coaster here, San Diego’s local rail transit system, which goes from Oceanside to Downtown San Diego and back multiple times throughout the day.

Northeast Carlsbad is home to communities like Calavera Hills. Here you will find fantastic hiking trails and great schools, and a very close proximity to the neighboring city of Oceanside and all it has to offer.

Southeast Carlsbad is home to Rancho Carrillo and Bressi Ranch, two master planned communities with fantastic amenities, great schools and only a short drive to the beach.

Southwest Carlsbad is home to Aviara, La Costa and the coast. Here you will find great family, retirement and single living, wonderful schools and an abundance of housing choices. Shopping includes the Forum Shops, a favorite among locals. Encinitas is just to the south, offering more beaches, shopping and dining.

Carlsbad is a fantastic place to live, work and play, and offers many choices of home styles and lifestyles.

Del Mar is the ultimate in beach living. With miles of gorgeous beaches (including Dog Beach, a local favorite amongst dog lovers) and a fabulous Village with upscale shopping, dining and art, Del Mar offers something for everyone. Home styles in and surrounding the Village range from condominiums to beach cottages to luxury homes.

The world famous Del Mar Racetrack is home to horse racing, the incredible San Diego County Fair, and many other fun and exciting exhibits throughout the year. Just up the road is the Flower Hill Mall, with numerous dining choices, shopping and a movie theater.

Just a few miles inland from the coast is Carmel Valley, a master planned community with many different housing developments and world-class schools. Carmel Valley is a favorite place to live for those who commute to other parts of the county for work , as it is not only centrally located but provides clean, safe and well-designed neighborhoods. Shopping, dining and entertainment are abundant throughout Carmel Valley.

Del Mar has it all…so if you are looking for a beach lifestyle, a family neighborhood, or the single lifestyle this is your place.

Known as a surfer town, Encinitas has retained it casual charm but also offers a variety of lifestyles. The western part of Encinitas is home to the downtown area, where you can find great dining, shopping and boutique stores, as well as the famous La Paloma Theater. The Self-Realization Fellowship offers beautiful gardens and a place to relax on the cliffs above the blue pacific ocean. Swami’s and Moonlight Beach are favorite places to play, surf and just hang out.

Moving inland just a bit you will find Encinitas Ranch, a community of homes and wonderful schools surrounding the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course. Here also you can visit the San Diego Botanical Gardens, a beautiful way to spend a few hours. There is also great shopping and dining off of El Camino Real throughout Encinitas.

Just a few miles further east is Olivenhain, a community of beautiful and eclectic homes on larger lots, many of them custom, including horse property. Olivenhain borders Rancho Santa Fe. This is a great place to live if you want to feel like you are in the country, yet be only moments away from the city center.

The Souhwestern part of Encinitas is home to Cardiff-by-the-Sea, an upscale yet quiet and casual beach town. Cardiff has a small town center with an amazing gourmet market, restaurants and a few shops, and one of the best breakfast places in San Diego. Cardiff State Beach is pristine and a local favorite surfing spot. Many residents of Cardiff live there for years and just play the musical house game…it is a close-knit community.

No matter what style housing you are looking for, you can find it in Encinitas. Encinitas also has some of the best schools in the county. It is an ideal location for anyone seeking to make a move to a wonderful community.

Known as the “jewel of San Diego,” La Jolla is a treat for the senses. Strolling around the winding streets that make up the Village you feel as if you are in the European Mediterreanean. Upscale shopping, art galleries, museums, parks, hotels and restaurants (from casual to top-rated dining) are abundant here. The Village is unique in that it is set right along the water, with places for kayaking, hang gliding, walking and viewing native seal and sea lion colonies.

Living in La Jolla is like being on vacation. There are several neighborhoods that make up this beach town, including Beach-Barber, WindanSea, Bird Rock, La Jolla Shores, and the Village. Heading just a bit east are Mount Soledad, the Muirlands neighborhood, and La Jolla Farms. Each area has a distinct feel and offers a different lifestyle.

La Jolla is home to the private La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, and to both the La Jolla Country Club and the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and Resort. The Scripps Institute of Oceanography, and affiliated Scripps Aquarium also call La Jolla home, as do the La Jolla Playhouse and UCSD.

Home prices in La Jolla are higher than in other parts of the county due to location. If you are looking for a beach community with fantastic walkability, dining, shopping and entertainment La Jolla is definitely a wonderful choice.

The third largest city in San Diego County, Oceanside is a beach town, a military town and a family town, offering vastly different lifestyles.

The downtown area has been revitalized over the last decade, which has brought much prestige to the area. Fantastic new beach lofts, condominiums and cottages line the beach area. Oceanside beaches are spacious and clean, and popular amongst San Diego residents. Playhouses and theaters, dining and shopping are prevalent throughout the downtown area, and the harbor and pier offer dining and great view spots.

Heading inland a bit there are many different neighborhoods—some older and some newer—providing a plethora of choices for buyers. Prices tend to be lower than neighboring towns on the average, providing a great place to look for many first time homebuyers.

Shopping and dining and parks are interspersed throughout the city. The Transit Center has daily rail service via Amtrak and the local county Coaster, as well as bus service locally and to outlying areas. Oceanside is a great place to live and work.

Billed as the wealthiest zip code in the nation, the ultimate lifestyle of the rich and famous can be found in Rancho Santa Fe, a stunning community of distinctive luxury homes located just inland from Del Mar and Encinitas. Tree-lined roads and orange groves lead into the Ranch, where most homes are extravagant, private and secluded.

The Village is a quaint meeting spot with several incomparable restaurants, shopping, post office and library and The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, a favorite spot for weddings and visitors. Surrounding the Village are condominiums and smaller homes, with the larger acreage properties just beyond.

Rancho Santa Fe offers several different neighborhoods, most of which have similarly named golf courses, such as Mogan Run, The Bridges, The Farms, Fairbanks Ranch and Crosby National, as well as the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, which neighbors the Village center. This is truly a golfer’s paradise.

For those looking for a luxury lifestyle Rancho Santa Fe is the ultimate destination.

Solana Beach is a town that mixes beach living with art and soul. If the beautiful beaches don’t offer enough, there is famous Design District of Cedros Avenue. Here you can find a collection of art, antiques, furnishings and other design elements, as well as wonderful eateries and the famous Belly Up Tavern, which showcases both local and famous bands.

Bordering Del Mar, Solana Beach has it’s own special feel. Winding through the streets off of Lomas Santa Fe Drive, you will find many home styles, from architectural masterpieces and estate properties with stunning ocean views, to quaint little beach cottages. Convenient shopping and dining are located just by the freeway at Lomas Santa Fe Drive, and the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club and wonderful San Dieguito Park are just up the road. Solana Beach is also home to the North Coast Repertory Theater, an intimate theater providing raw talent and a hit list of performances.

I had a friend who was always singing the blues. She had a difficult life and has been through a lot, and things were continuously not going her way. When I spoke with her it was always about the latest problem. I tried and tried to steer her to thinking in a different way, telling her that if she stopped focusing on all the negative things her life could turn around. I reminded her of the wonderful things in her life–her husband, children, health. But after years of trying I just felt exhausted. She literally sucked the energy from me and I had to end the friendship. It was a tough decision, because I really love her and value her friendship. But I had to save myself from delving into the blues and negativity every time we spoke.

My beloved friend/sister in law, who passed away over four years ago from cancer at a young age, was one of the most positive people I knew. She was always singing a happy song, and you could feel it. Even when she was dying in the hospital and her two children were watching, she managed to keep her chin up and sing songs that made you want to dance and appreciate life. Another loved one was just diagnosed with an incurable disease and boy is she singing upbeat tunes to keep up the attitude.

Have you ever  watched young children playing? If you are a parent like me than you know what I am describing, but if not you should do an experiment. Go to a park and sit and watch children play for a bit. You will notice they are singing! Either literally, or just with their body language. They are engaged in their play completely, and their joy is infectious. True they have no worries yet, but we need to capture this joy and infuse it into our lives every day. I am not saying that we should be happy 100% of the time, but we can definitely make time to think positive thoughts and share them with others. Like small children we need to truly enjoy just being present.

Attitude is everything, and to those who do not believe that it is a shame. The song you sing, the vibe you give off, effects all those with whom you come into contact. Life is full of challenges and none of us are immune. So if you are not singing those songs already please try it for a week. Appreciate everything you have, see the beauty in things, feel your body’s strength and health, look at those you love and realize how important they are to you. We are only here for a short time and no one knows when their time will be up. Take what is important and sing about it–not literally, although you can if you choose–let others hear your songs and see what a difference it will make.