Your story is mine as well. I hope that some day (when I retire) my wife and I can follow you out of state.
I'd like Californians to stay right where they are. They can sell their dumpy houses and pay cash for a 5,000 sq/ft mansion on a golf course in my town, and still pocket a few hundred thousand dollars profit.
Then they complain about things like oil drilling.
If you want things to be like California, stay in frickin' California.
(spoken like a true hypocrite who moved from California over 25 years ago. [grin] )