Sorry to hear that you are leaving, Cardiff, but can’t blame you at all.
As mentioned above, I’m sure many of us (ourselves included) have fantasized about leaving CA many times. We’re stuck here because we were born in L.A. and have family obligations, so will have to be here for awhile.
You’re not the first person to mention the difficulty of finding good friends in California. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that California is a very transitory state. I think only 1/3 of the population is native, so most people here come from somewhere else, and really don’t have the kind of bonds that are fostered when you have lots of childhood friends and live in the same place your entire life. I’ve been in San Diego since early 1998, and have not found the kind of close friendships I had in L.A. (with all my childhood friends). Maybe that’s why we all congregate here on the blogs. It’s a place where “everybody knows your name” (even if it’s just a virtual username).
You will probably miss San Diego for a bit, but the fact that you don’t have any family ties or lifelong memories will probably make leaving easier. I’ll bet you end up making more and better friends in your first year in FL than you were able to here in five years. It sounds like you’re very community-minded, and that’s a trait that will make you friends no matter where you go.
Good luck CB! I look forward to your post where you show us your new home and can brag about the fact that it only cost you $150K!!! You are soooooo lucky!!!! 🙂
