What do non-Americans misunderstand most about your home state?
From an outside perspective, California seems to be a dream come true. Hollywood, tech startups, stacks of money waiting…. It seems like a utopia. But there are some very big negatives when you live in my state.WILDFIRES: The state recently had massive wildfires that destroyed many towns. The fire that was known as the Camp Fire was actually started due to a faulty PG&E utility line that sparked some brushes that were dry. Combine that with high winds and it became very bad instantly. Smoke covered the entire area where I live in and in San Francisco, it was reported that spending a day outside was equivalent to smoking 11 CIGARETTES. Surprisingly, my high school didn’t close down and I actually had to walk in the smoke back home one day. Hopefully this doesn’t cause health problems for me later on. The weather in California can spark wildfires like these that may take weeks to be contained, severely damaging air quality.TRAFFIC: The traffic in my area is just absolutely insane. When a school day ends and I’m walking home, the roads are already packed. I have to be extra careful crossing the main road because parents are very impatient trying to avoid traffic, sometimes taking absurd shortcuts. The state of California is the most populous in the entire nation, and the influx of tech workers have not contributed well to the traffic jams. It is still not as bad as it is in Asia but it can very well approach that level if nothing is done. This also contributes very badly to the air quality, as the carbon monoxide being emitted can be too much.COST OF LIVING: This is a very big issue. California has over 8% sales tax and crazy house prices. Condos and townhouses can have prices on the market of over millions, which makes even living in them a big luxury. Everybody is constantly fighting over property, as their is a huge demand for proximity to big companies and good schools. An entry level engineer in San Francisco would be making a bit less then needed to live comfortably in the city. This is common even in the Los Angeles area. Supply and Demand works its wonders in this state.California is a land of opportunity and there is a reason why it is the 5th largest economy in the world. But this drive to be living here presents its biggest challenges. Logistical difficulties are nowhere close to being solved which can exacerbate the crowding.CZ