Buckskinner
Member
I'm posting this because I had to make a decision recently about relocating out of CA for a new job, and I had searched many boards for stories of how folks' felt and what they found out of state. Since I didn't find many posts like this one, and I know many people have mentioned publicly how they'd like to leave KA, I'm sharing some thoughts.
I am a fifth generation Californian. My grandmother was born and raised in SF, which was a much different place in the '20's and '30s, as you can imagine. My children were born in Berkeley, which will be funny later in their life, I hope. But my California is much different than the stereotypical "KA" that so many hoplophiles rail against.
I grew up between the Gold Country, which is mostly National Forest and very small country towns, and the Bay Area which is a huge metropolis of literally millions of people. My perspective is of a kid who lived in 23 places by the time I was 21, most in places like Richmond, Hayward, Coloma, Georgetown, San Leandro and Oakland. I hunted and fished, and camped alone on ridges and creek bottoms since I was a wee tyke. I know the majesty of the Sierra, and have hiked in manzanita on the West slope and sage on the East, alike. Caught fish with my bare hands in a pristine mountain stream after killing and gutting and packing out a big ol' buck, and then been mugged in Oakland on the same weekend. Panned for gold in the high country, sailed competitively on and out of SF Bay, scuba and abalone from Mendocino to Monterey, snowboarded and flyfished the same day.
There is a lot to love about my CA.
Then I became a gun nut, and realized what a jacked up place KA is for law abiding citizens who want to be left alone, but with the stroke of a pen turned into criminals. The KA that set precedence for "no duty to protect" by cops, and "registration leads to confiscation". My "representatives" belonging to a social elite that doesn't know or care about many of their constituents. I come from the land of Pelosi, Feinstein, Perata Barbara Lee and worse.
So, for many years, I've been trying to figure out a financially sound strategy for leaving the state. Sucking the tit of mother CA is easy to do. Folks have a lot of money. I started three businesses, and never had a cash flow problem. In the Bay Area, all you need to do is want to work, and you will find a decent paying job eventually. But the politics of KA, not the CA I love, was weighing more and more heavily on my shoulders.
Leaving for areas that were rumored to have a lower cost of living, but also had lower wages was problematic with all my expensive hobbies, an expensive wife, two expensive kids, and two new cars. But we searched and dreamed and kept our irons in the fire and our noses to the wind.
And a job finally did come up, and we did relocate to Redmond WA.
We absolutely love it! It has rained for 22 days straight now, and the record of 33 days is in sight. But I live on an acre, with horses, llamas, shetland ponies, and bulldogs on the surrounding properties, and my kids are totally enthralled. The gunshops are cool, and they actually have EBR's there! I can buy standard capacity mags for my Glock and Mini. I can take the HK out to the range without freaking out or commiting a crime. In fact the first time I did take the HK to the range, it sure felt strange...but goooooood!
I went back to CA to pick up a final load of stuff, having been out of state for 45 days. Let me tell you, I couldn't wait to get back to WA. In fact, I flew in that day, rented a truck, packed it to the gills, and drove straight back home to WA. Because that's what it feels like now, "home".
KA was busy, crowded, fast, hostile, dangerous, aloof, smelly and expensive.
WA is all of these but less so, and in more manageable quantities.
WA is kid friendly. Its gun friendly. Its just plain friendly.
Its also wet and green. And the fishing is supposed to be great.
I used to think I camped with those who said "don't leave! The fight is here! We need all right thinking folks we can get!". But holding my daughters, and hoping for a better future, KA just doesn't deserve us. I'm here to tell you the state is almost ruined. There is hope in rural CA, but as the baby boomer yuppies sell their shacks in San Fran for 2 million dollars and buy Grampa's 4 acres in Shingle Springs for $600K, and turn Gram's little hardware store into a perfumy boutique, that hope is fading fast.
I'm glad I"m gone.
A very interesting thing about this is the absolute feeling of relief I have. I feel like there are layers of KA repression peeling off me like an onion. My friend who moved from CA to CO last year, also a hoplophile, mentioned the same thing. Very liberating.
This is one Californian who will try to fight the good fight in WA, and believe me we need it here. KA is exporting some bad juju. The leftist politicians here are just as bad, maybe worse than the bad ones in KA. I'll be learning and voting.
Thanks for letting me vent a bit I guess.
Good luck if you're thinking of moving out of the Golden State.
WA, thanks for welcoming me. I know there might be those who resent their southern neighbors coming up and ruining the neighborhood, but I'll try to be a good Washingtonian. As far as gun nuts are concerned, anyway...
If you're coming to WA drop me a line.
If you're in WA, and you want a fishing or shooting buddy, I have bird dogs and will travel!
~Buck.
I am a fifth generation Californian. My grandmother was born and raised in SF, which was a much different place in the '20's and '30s, as you can imagine. My children were born in Berkeley, which will be funny later in their life, I hope. But my California is much different than the stereotypical "KA" that so many hoplophiles rail against.
I grew up between the Gold Country, which is mostly National Forest and very small country towns, and the Bay Area which is a huge metropolis of literally millions of people. My perspective is of a kid who lived in 23 places by the time I was 21, most in places like Richmond, Hayward, Coloma, Georgetown, San Leandro and Oakland. I hunted and fished, and camped alone on ridges and creek bottoms since I was a wee tyke. I know the majesty of the Sierra, and have hiked in manzanita on the West slope and sage on the East, alike. Caught fish with my bare hands in a pristine mountain stream after killing and gutting and packing out a big ol' buck, and then been mugged in Oakland on the same weekend. Panned for gold in the high country, sailed competitively on and out of SF Bay, scuba and abalone from Mendocino to Monterey, snowboarded and flyfished the same day.
There is a lot to love about my CA.
Then I became a gun nut, and realized what a jacked up place KA is for law abiding citizens who want to be left alone, but with the stroke of a pen turned into criminals. The KA that set precedence for "no duty to protect" by cops, and "registration leads to confiscation". My "representatives" belonging to a social elite that doesn't know or care about many of their constituents. I come from the land of Pelosi, Feinstein, Perata Barbara Lee and worse.
So, for many years, I've been trying to figure out a financially sound strategy for leaving the state. Sucking the tit of mother CA is easy to do. Folks have a lot of money. I started three businesses, and never had a cash flow problem. In the Bay Area, all you need to do is want to work, and you will find a decent paying job eventually. But the politics of KA, not the CA I love, was weighing more and more heavily on my shoulders.
Leaving for areas that were rumored to have a lower cost of living, but also had lower wages was problematic with all my expensive hobbies, an expensive wife, two expensive kids, and two new cars. But we searched and dreamed and kept our irons in the fire and our noses to the wind.
And a job finally did come up, and we did relocate to Redmond WA.
We absolutely love it! It has rained for 22 days straight now, and the record of 33 days is in sight. But I live on an acre, with horses, llamas, shetland ponies, and bulldogs on the surrounding properties, and my kids are totally enthralled. The gunshops are cool, and they actually have EBR's there! I can buy standard capacity mags for my Glock and Mini. I can take the HK out to the range without freaking out or commiting a crime. In fact the first time I did take the HK to the range, it sure felt strange...but goooooood!
I went back to CA to pick up a final load of stuff, having been out of state for 45 days. Let me tell you, I couldn't wait to get back to WA. In fact, I flew in that day, rented a truck, packed it to the gills, and drove straight back home to WA. Because that's what it feels like now, "home".
KA was busy, crowded, fast, hostile, dangerous, aloof, smelly and expensive.
WA is all of these but less so, and in more manageable quantities.
WA is kid friendly. Its gun friendly. Its just plain friendly.
Its also wet and green. And the fishing is supposed to be great.
I used to think I camped with those who said "don't leave! The fight is here! We need all right thinking folks we can get!". But holding my daughters, and hoping for a better future, KA just doesn't deserve us. I'm here to tell you the state is almost ruined. There is hope in rural CA, but as the baby boomer yuppies sell their shacks in San Fran for 2 million dollars and buy Grampa's 4 acres in Shingle Springs for $600K, and turn Gram's little hardware store into a perfumy boutique, that hope is fading fast.
I'm glad I"m gone.
A very interesting thing about this is the absolute feeling of relief I have. I feel like there are layers of KA repression peeling off me like an onion. My friend who moved from CA to CO last year, also a hoplophile, mentioned the same thing. Very liberating.
This is one Californian who will try to fight the good fight in WA, and believe me we need it here. KA is exporting some bad juju. The leftist politicians here are just as bad, maybe worse than the bad ones in KA. I'll be learning and voting.
Thanks for letting me vent a bit I guess.
Good luck if you're thinking of moving out of the Golden State.
WA, thanks for welcoming me. I know there might be those who resent their southern neighbors coming up and ruining the neighborhood, but I'll try to be a good Washingtonian. As far as gun nuts are concerned, anyway...
If you're coming to WA drop me a line.
If you're in WA, and you want a fishing or shooting buddy, I have bird dogs and will travel!
~Buck.
Just jokin'...
