I don’t think I can achieve true happiness if I don’t settle down in California

I know — it’s expensive and the Colorado River is in crisis.

But let me be a little more emotional in this story.

So many times I said, “I can be happy in any place”. I even wrote a story on Medium about it:

Wherever I lived, I was always happy. Stop whining about America or wherever. The grass is greener…

Indeed, wherever I lived I was usually able to find peace and comfort. Moscow, London, Boston, America’s different coasts, and in the middle.

Whenever I moved to a new place, there was usually some stress at the beginning. But then I was able to integrate, to understand the place’s history, to appreciate its authenticity.

California though…

It’s out of this world. Vast, cinematic, enigmatic, diverse, warm, welcoming. A world of its own.

We lived in the Bay area — loved it.

We lived in Southern California — loved it.

We hiked California’s Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Redwood National Park, Sequoia Forrest, Yosemite, Channel Island, and Pinnacles.

Did we get to know these national parks intimately?