California is arguably the most diverse state amongst the 50 states that make up the chaotic, volatile union that is the United States of America. In terms of economy, climate, terrain variance, and self-sustenance, it could easily be a country on its own, and a very prosperous one at that.
Beach at Los Osos along Route 1, stopping for a breath
of fresh air
For many - especially people whose impressions on California are built on what they've seen on the telly and the silver screen - Los Angeles represents California. It's supposed to be the state of perpetual sunshine, babes with pneumatic breasts and guys in cool convertibles. However, that image is not all that Los Angeles is, and it most certainly is not what California is.
The beauty of California, as a state, is that it has everything imaginable, and then some. One of the oft-repeated cliches is that you can go skiing in the morning and spend the afternoon on the beach, during the same day. While not having tried this yet (I get all the snow I want right at home in Finland), I do believe it. The terrain changes rapidly from arid deserts to lush, rolling hills in mere hours as one drives along the length of the state. From cityscape to desert flatlands to the beauty of Big Sur or the endless suburbia of Silicon Valley - it's all California.
As a result of this amazing diversity, squeezed into an area the size of a medium-sized country, most Cali-dwellers I know say they feel no special need to venture outside their state (except to gamble, but Las Vegas is almost California, at least in spirit if not in reality). And of course, the diversity of the state is reflected in the fact that you can find every type and brand of humanity within the state - from hippies to hillbillies, from academics to aristocrats.
I was discussing the different brands of Californians with a friend of mine who is an LA dweller. There is a marked difference in attitude between those that live in Northern California (NoCal for short) and Southern California (SoCal). Life in SoCal is synonymous with a positive shade of narcissism, where you are too wrapped up in your quest for your own happiness to really pay attention to what other people are doing, while some NoCal people seem to be hell-bent on berating the SoCal lifestyle at every turn.
Gorgeous views along Highway 1, leading from LA to the Bay Area and beyond
I must say I find the SoCal view on life quite refreshing. There is a palpable sense of innate positivity in the people that live there, a brand of glee that is on occasion almost childish. Nobody is complaining about the weather or making snarky comments about people they consider to be stupid, but instead, it's a live and let live mentality that permeates the atmosphere.
However, the flip side of the coin is never pretty. One time, we went on a nightly jaunt along Mulholland Drive to see the LA lights stretch off into the horizon. (You won't appreciate how massive the city is until you've seen that endless sea of light.) As we gasped and oohed at the curb, another car pulled over a few yards in front of us, and as we drove past them, the occupants were snorting white powder up their nose. I'm sure it wasn't baking soda.
