As a child, I used to play all sorts of make-believe games. One day I’d be a teacher; my stuffed animals were my students. Another day I’d play store, creating a boutique in my basement. In my loftier moments, I’d pretend to be in the aviation world and make pretend I was on the radio, soaring across the sky while chatting with traffic controllers. That my childhood dreams have now become a reality of sorts is still beyond my wildest imagination.
To boot, I only hoped I’d get to live where I do today, in the important sixth-largest economy i the world, a place both relevant and sophisticated, full of beauty, health and joy. A lot of the world looks to California for clues. And since I’m so proud of the my special state, I’m always happy to have friends come visit, or to tell others in other places about the paradise from which I hail. California isn’t only a place, but a way of thinking too. Its a place of unparalleled creativity from some of the most exciting and brilliant people on earth. California is a present to the world; it’s full of the best the world has to offer, from diverse races and lifestyles to nostalgia and history of the beginnings of the great nation of which we’re part. It’s an idolized state for good reason, as its entertainment industry shaped the entire world’s collective memories of pop culture.
Back to those childhood make-believe games in my family’s living room: that I do get to create the dream life I want, with amazing help of course, and that I get to realize my dream of female independence in a world that calls women second class nearly everywhere else, leaves me in a bit of disbelief. I guess the silly dreams of youth can sometimes transcend into actual realities, if you come to California…and for that, I’m eternally grateful.