Im showing love to my home state, which bore me, raised me and was essential during my formative years. I miss it and here are some reasons (in no particular order) why:
Sunshine year round (okay Bay Area is overcast alot)
Oakland Hills
Skaters
BART
Burrito Trucks
2Pac
Green Day
The Sunset Strip
Tower Records (R-I-P)
Jack London Square
California knows how to party
Fred Segal
The Lost Boys (on location in Santa Cruz)
Riots!
Spanish names of cities and streets
San Francisco fog
Snoop Dogg
Francis Ford Coppola
Counter-culture
Haight-Ashbury
Gap
Guns-n-Roses
Compton
The Rainbow
Poison
Wish they all could be California girls
Amoeba
Richmond High School
Chris Isaak
Surfers
In-n-Out Burger
The Castro
Graffitti (sometimes...the good stuff not general tagging)
The Whiskey
ILM (Industrial Light & Magic)
Skywalker Ranch
Sublime
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Good Sushi (and Sake)
The Beach Boys
The Fillmore
Pier 39
Good Chinese food
Heritage festivals
Metallica
The State bear on the flag
The Barrymores (I heart Drew)
Cal Mex
vintage cars for general use
winding hilly streets
Harvey Milk
Berkeley
Motley Crue
Baja
Mullholland Drive
Red Hot Chili Peppers
DISNEYLAND!
Mount Shasta
Garlic Festival in Gilroy
Death Valley
Wind Turbines
Cowboys and Indians
Chicken & Waffles
Tai Chi in Golden Gate Park
Napa Valley and Sonoma County Wineries
Malibu
San Francisco Victorian Houses (the "painted ladies")
Tea salons
Californication
Elusive element of Cool
Diversity
Dr. Dre and NWA
Solano Avenue
Smoke shops
Racers
Baywatch
Drifters
Gold Rush
Chinatown
A's, Giants, Raider's, 49er's and the Sharks
Great America (in Santa Clara)
I might've left off some, I'll add them as they come to me. Much love Cali! I don't care about your dirty streets and problems with the homeless, drugs or immigration, I don't care if San Francisco smells like urine or if there's graffitti on the Neiman Marcus...I don't care if panhandlers shake cups at me or the air is smoggy or hookers proposition you on Hollywood Boulevard. I love it!
