San Luis Obispo High School students are blessed to be surrounded by beautiful mountains, close to the beach, and provided with a sort of endearing, Hallmark-movie resembling downtown. Not only is San Luis Obispo a wonderful town to grow up or live in, but the state of California as a whole. 

  California may seem like waterfalls and redwoods to outsiders, but not automatically receiving a straw with my Coke at a restaurant, and listening to my parents complain about taxes, makes me think that the other states I have driven through in this beautiful country may be where I set up camp in the future.

  California seems to be superior, but really, it is one of the more inferior states in the Country.

  ¨I don’t like the California politics, especially in school. I don’t agree with the prom court thing [no longer selecting a prom king and queen] and not being able to wear cords for graduation. I feel like they are trying to make us all equal when some people work harder than others. Montana just isn’t like that,¨said former resident of Montana junior Faith Holton.

  California politics play a significant role in the lives of all those who reside in the state, but even more so for students coming from out of state like Holton.

  Another drawback of the so called  ̈Golden State ̈ are the not so golden gas prices. With customers paying an average of thirty cents more per gallon in the state of California, ¨̈investigators  ́concluded that the primary cause of the residual price increase is simply that California ́s retail gasoline outlets are charging higher prices than those in other states,̈  according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

  This directly impacts many SLOHS students, especially those who have to pay for their own gas– unless, of course, they received a battery powered Tesla for their sweet 16.

  Although money is on the minds of many California residents, there are other factors that bump it down the list of top places to live for SLOHS students. 

  ¨I don’t like how it doesn’t feel like Christmas because there’s no snow and I have no family here. I also don’t like how dry it is here because it’s all brown and kinda ugly,̈  said former Vermont resident sophomore Emily Russell. 

  For many beach-goers, California may seem like a rad and beautiful place to live. But for those of us who would prefer mountains and fields, the ones we see here in San Luis Obispo are often depressing to look at. Or for students like Russell, California simply does not feel like home if the people who truly matter are not paying outrageously high percentages of income tax with you. 

  Although California has its faults, literally and figuratively, there are some upsides to living on the West Coast.

  ¨I’ve lived in five states so far. Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and California. I’ve enjoyed the environment of each state, but I do have to say California is by far my favorite. This is due mostly to the fact that California much more relevant than the others and provides more avenues on what I can learn to enjoy . . . California is almost a perfect balance of every Western state. Each part of the state provides something new with either beaches, mountains, or desert. I can experience a lot in the confines of California,¨ said junior Mulenga Malama. 

  Even when presented with so many flaws to complain about, sunny skies and temperate weather is not one of them. California as a whole can provide anyone with whatever climate they desire, with snowy regions found inland and coastal sun and sand by the Pacific Ocean.

  California presents itself well with its sunny weather and tourist destinations, but those on the inside who suffer from atrocious roads and high taxes know better. California is a true beauty, and a beast when her makeup comes off. 

Sources:

thebalance.com

sfchronicle.com