heh heh heh
I'm really sad to leave Cali, it's a great place. Los Angeles, specifically, has been very good to me.
Points:
1. The weather is always nice. I lived in Culver City, lots of sunshine, no oppressive heat because the ocean is nearby.
2. My commute was 10-15 minutes, so traffic wasn't a problem. Anytime I went out far, I either was smart enough to plan the right time to avoid traffic or take my motorcycle where I could
3. ...drive between the lanes legally. Can't do that in Oregon.
4. Location^3. I was within an hour of beach, mountain climbing, skiing in snow, swimming, riding horses, desert, forests, etc. It was like I was living in a tampon commercial. I've never lived anywhere as versatile or beautiful as SoCal.
5. Visceral thrills. When I watch TV or movies, I recognize places that I've been to, even places that I was driving just that morning. It might sound trite, but there's can be a real thrill to connecting real locations you're personally familiar with with stories on TV & film. I grew up in Seattle and Eugene, and that just doesn't happen.
6. EVERYTHING is available here. Specialty electronics stores, any concert I would want to see, any bar, etc. There are more malls then people, there are DISTRICTS. By districts, I mean 'jewelry districts', 'flower districts', 'hot dog' districts. Anything you want, there's a freakin district where everyone is trying to undersell each other, so you win. Stuff is cheap if you bother to look around.
7. You can get any food you want, with any level of authenticity you want. In Eugene, eating vietnamese food means putting soy sauce on your taco supreme. In LA, you can optionally get real dog. I'm not saying I like eating spaniel, but... it's there.
I gotta run (all the gang members come out between commercials during prime time) but other then that, there are a million other reasons so many people live in LA.
It's just great if you're not an idiot.