Relocating to California?

[mzangelique]

Hey everyone! I have been lurking these forums for a few weeks and enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics. There are so many insightful people here that I thought I might pose my own question to the members of the e-playa, specifically, the multitude who live in California.

It's time for me to choose a graduate program in Psychology next year and I would like to evacuate the grey that is Cleveland, Ohio. Don't get me wrong, Cleveland has a lot to offer in many realms but I think it is time for me to move on, take a leap, and expand the realm of my experience by relocating somewhere else. I was thinking California for a few reasons:

1. It's far away from home and everyone I know, which will be an experiment in radical self reliance that should help me push my limits.
2. There are several schools with interesting graduate research programs
3. It seems to me like a great deal of the burner community is from the west coast, and would provide me more opportunities to become involved.
4. I'd like to meet lots of people with different paradigms and experiences than myself, moving across the country would assist this.
5. It's warmer. Driving in blizzards is terrifying, here.
6. There are areas of great natural beauty
7. Getting to Burning Man for my first burn in 2013 will be simpler (But this is just a side note, not a reason I suppose)

I understand that different parts of California are quite different, also, but I don't know where to begin learning about the differences.

These are just preliminary thoughts however that are in need of review from actual California residents perhaps, specifically like minded positive/creative/innovative individuals. If anyone has and insights they would like to share about a decision to move to California, both positive and negative, I am open to all new information, and plan on spending the next year researching and talking to people before making the couplethousandmile jump.

[moonrise]

Northern California is better. That rules out 2/3'rds of the state.

[ygmir]

one of the great burners on Eplaya lives in Modesto...............

[junglesmacks]

Get the fuck out of Ohio however you can. Don't even think twice. Just do it.

[tamarakay]

one of the great burners on Eplaya lives in Modesto...............

You live in Modesto?

[ygmir]

one of the great burners on Eplaya lives in Modesto...............

You live in Modesto?

IBDave..........a true legend.............

[Elderberry]

Cleveland has NOTHING to offer. Get the hell out of there as quickly as you can. You'll never look back.
If you're looking for warmer weather year round, San Diego. If you're looking for a true, vibrant city; and don't mind fog, rain and chilly days and cold nights, San Francisco. If you're looking for a more suburban, yet city atmosphere and nice weather most of the time, Los Angeles.

Certainly some will disagree.

[TomServo]

I'm stuck in Bakersfield, and CAN'T WAIT to move back to California! The Bay Area is my recommendation. S.F. and a good chunk of the East Bay are pretty expensive, but relatively cheap housing can be found.

[lemur]

stay in ohio!!

youll be able to eat all the meat and potatoes you like without everyone thinkin yer some kinda dick for not wanting a vege platter with a salad on the side for every meal!!

WHOO HOO

[theCryptofishist]

Expect to pay through the nose for a public program. I don't know what schools you're thinking of, but the state of public universities is outrageous. And worse for an out-of-stater...

[Elliot]

If you have any towns in mind, I can try to describe those -- to my limited ability.

[maryanimal]

I would suggest San Francisco. It's my fave city! It's beautiful, diversified, and justy plain awesome. Lot's of wonderful burners in and around there! Plus there are some other great cities surrounding SF, the wine country, Napa, Sonoma, Mendecino!

Los Angeles is dirty, crowded, unsafe, smog so thick you can cut it with a knife, the world's worst drivers...need I say more...

[piehole]

San Francisco has crummy weather though.

San Diego is the shit.
Best Mexican food in the states, hands down
lower crime rate (i think)
best weather in the damn world
a great burner community
there's always some kind of event going on, always something to do
less traffic, better beaches
and phil's fuckin barbecue, oh my fuck

[maryanimal]

San Francisco has crummy weather though.

San Diego is the shit.
Best Mexican food in the states, hands down
lower crime rate (i think)
best weather in the damn world
a great burner community
there's always some kind of event going on, always something to do
less traffic, better beaches
and phil's fuckin barbecue, oh my fuck

The weather isn't always crappy in San Francisco!
However I do agree with the San Diego area! Good weather, great beaches, excellente Mexican food! I love little Italy! Great people!

[Ugly Dougly]

Even Bakersfield is better than Ohio?
Yeesh, I guess so...

[mzangelique]

Thank you everyone for your insights!

I appreciate it. I know school's in Cali are expensive but I am joining Americorps to pay off my student debt after graduation so it is not so important. More debt = more service time, which I have NO problem with. "Bad" weather in Cali is probably amazing weather to an Ohioan, I had to scrape ice off my car for 20 minutes today. Moving so far away from everything I know is daunting and It's awesome to have encouragement and insight

[pink]

Then you probably don't want to move to Lake Tahoe, or Lassen or Shasta....of course these places aren't known for great universities either.

For most of us, we drive to the snow, when we want some. As a former Pittsburgher and New Yorker, it's a pleasant concept.

I live in Sacramento, and I'd vote for the Bay Area too, or San Diego, depending on what type of city you like. San Fran is more like an eastern city: public transportation, building up not out, and contrary to what was said above, the weather does not suck. It does tend to be cold and foggy in the summer and warm & sunny in the winter, and exactly where you live can make a big difference-half the city could be socked in fog and the eastern side nice & sunny.

And for neither of those recommendations, Davis is pretty darn nice too. Small city, lots of bikes & hippy types.

[Ratty]

Or, just over the bridge out side of SF, (and BTW it's called 'The City' by most), you can find lovely burbs such as Berkeley, El Cerrito, Hercules.....the cities reach all the way from the coast to the Capitol. I would recommend S.F. Do it once and make it work. You'll never regret the experience. The challenge of transportation, shopping, parking and dealing with the environment explains why San Franciscans adapt well to the Playa.

[theCryptofishist]

(and BTW it's called 'The City' by most

Sadly, that unlovely "San Fran" is gaining traction. Maybe we should re-think the anti-"Frisco" thing.

[ygmir]

(and BTW it's called 'The City' by most

Sadly, that unlovely "San Fran" is gaining traction. Maybe we should re-think the anti-"Frisco" thing.

I not only don't live there, I've only been there a handful of times.......but, when I hear "San Fran" the hair on my neck stands up.

It makes me look like a Chia pet.

[The CO]

Cleveland has NOTHING to offer.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

That's all I got....

[Ugly Dougly]

Move to a place in California where you can find work. Even San Jose is better than the mid west.

[forty_eight]

Arcata, CA and Humboldt State University. Google it!

As mentioned, the state schools are a mess at the moment.

[piehole]

Arcata IS pretty rad, and there's a lot of potheads there.

Fuck, there's a lot of potheads all over California, that shit is only a cannabis-card away.
Then you hop right into your local dispensary and buy some snickers, lollipops an eighth of grand daddy purp, and get all fuckin' baked up, roll into the nearest taco shop, buy a burrito the size of a newborn baby for about tree-fiddy, eat it, fall into a food coma and wake up feeling like a king.


God, I miss California

[Elliot]

Someone mentioned Davis, which is just west of Sacramento, on the road (I-80) to San Francisco. I know Davis well, and would live there if I could afford it. Davis is home to UCDavis, which has a famous medical school. If they have a suitable psychology program....
You can bicycle ANYWHERE in Davis, and most students do. (I have friends there, who may even have a room for rent. Burners, yes.)

[theCryptofishist]

Cleveland has NOTHING to offer.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

That's all I got....

It is one of my regrets that I'll never be able to explore forgotten corners of the rust belt...
True, that might be a depressing way to live. Doesn't seem to harm Simon, but Simon's made of stern, rust belt stuff...

[ygmir]

Cleveland has NOTHING to offer.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

That's all I got....

It is one of my regrets that I'll never be able to explore forgotten corners of the rust belt...
True, that might be a depressing way to live. Doesn't seem to harm Simon, but Simon's made of stern, rust belt stuff...

and: "you can't burn ashes".

[bubbavic]

wherever you pick, stay away from LA

[Stephendragonfly]

Looking for Graduate Programs in Psych in Kali-Phone-Yah?
Check the University of California, all of them ('cept UCSF, that' s med school, oh, and Hastings School of Law is also a UC, technically. Both are in San Fran), even UC Merced has cool things to offer(close to Yosemite). 'Course my personal fave is UC Banana Slug, I mean Santa Cruz, all kinds of alternative psychology going on there, they even have a Young Republican, (at least there was just the one, lonely, angry, ultra-conservative Tea Party Dude last time I checked. There's a guy who REALLY thrives on conflict.). There are also a lot of smaller private universities clustered in and around the major cities and, despite being a mess, the State Colleges are still a pretty good deal, Chico State and Humboldt are a lot of fun. Places to stay away from... Fresno. A lot of Northern Californians will tell you to stay away from LA, but LA is so big that you can find almost anything that floats your boar, I mean boat, there.

[mzangelique]

Thank you SO much everyone, I really appreciate it. I went from nervous/eager to excited/eager.

I'm going to take into account all the different information, and research the school suggested. It's so hard to choose a school I have to commit to for 5 years when I can't even go visit first because it's not financially feasible.

And also, as far as Ohio benefits goes, so you all don't think I'm crazy:

I am a spelunker, Ohio and the surrounding states have some amazing caverns.
I have have gone to community college for free.
Theater and music events come through here at small, affordable venues pretty frequently
I am forced to be creative to keep entertained

^I know that is a sad, sad list, isn't it.