I was born in Monterey, California in 1953. I grew up in the California you remember.
Six years ago, I packed up my family and my small business and headed to Texas, never to return. Paraphrasing Ronald Reagan, I didn't leave California, California left me.
I’m late to this thread but can identify with your story. Calif.-born around the same time as you, and the wife and I now talk about Texas, Missouri, etc.
Here’s hoping Texas worked out well for you and yours.
I left the Golden State in 1993...my siblings still suffer there in pergatory.