I understand why many people love California. In many ways it is the epitome of the American Dream. The weather is always good, everyone has a house and at least one car, the fruits and vegetables look great, nature is beautiful, the lifestyle is relaxed and informal (by American standards), its at the forefront of technology, people can feel good about being environmentally and socially conscious. Despite these many qualities I don't think California is really for me, for some reason it feels a little superficial. Maybe its because I don't know it well enough, but I don't have the same feelings about New York or Montreal. It seems that despite considering myself a citizen of nowhere and having had an international upbringing, ultimately I am a European and that's where I feel most at home.
Although their bluntness and diversity of character can be insensitive, offensive or hurtful to the rest of america, I appreciate the northeastern candor. My eccentric and often risqué sense of humor doesn't go over as well on the west coast, making me feel like an alien sometimes. And my west coast cousins are so friendly and polite that I can never be sure how they think of me. It's unsettling.
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