since no one else has mentioned cali i wanna talk about how much i love it in more depth, i may not live there currently but it is ultimately my home & where i was born... every day i wish i could move back...
the main thing i just adore about cali is it is SO varied... like, most people when they think of cali, they think of the bay area, which is an amazing place to be but the forests and mountain ranges to the north are downright gorgeous as well. that's where i grew up so i may be slightly biased, but it is extremely cozy up there, and the people are a lot more chill too. (that's another thing - i've noticed people in socal are generally very different than those in norcal... life just moves so much slower in norcal.)
It's funny because I've always had people say things to me like, Oh you grew up in california, you must have never seen snow, you must not know what it's like to be cold. But up in the north I had very normal seasons lol. That state is sooo much more than beaches and overpriced homes. Depending on where you are in cali you've got towering mountains, dense forests, vast deserts, or of course, the sparkling ocean. It is a treat to explore every corner of it. just wish the cost of living wasn't so damn high.