I remember sitting in a cafe in Palo Alto, California, waiting to go to a client. I had just turned my laptop on (I use a Macbook) and was sipping my earl grey tea; then, in walked Steve Jobs with a few other people!

I’m really not big into celebrities, so I left Steve buy whatever it was he was going to buy and went back to perusing through the online Apple store for a new laptop, but it certainly was a moment to remember especially for a small town boy who grew up in rural Alberta.

And so, living in California for a small town boy is a bit like stepping out of a cold confined world into the movie Avatar. The people are bigger, almost alien and Californians will dress in blue anytime they want to protest (especially at UC Berkeley, one of the world-class Colleges in California). Check out our Californian Colleges page to get a feel for some of the top Colleges in the world.

Overall, though, the Californian culture is very similar to Canadian culture. It certainly has as many different ethnicities as Canada does, if not more. There are the same McDonalds, the same Walmarts the same, Starbucks, the language is somewhat the same, driving is virtually the same…. Still it does have its differences.

I remember driving through Oakland to get to the interstate I-880. As I was driving up to a stop light, I saw a car full of young Mexicans. One of them was hanging out of the car swearing and taunting every other car close by. I quickly pulled an illegal U-turn and headed back toward San Francisco. Clearly there are areas that you want to stay clear of. I crossed the Bay Bridge and was back in San Francisco in an hour. The Bay Bridge is incredible, as is San Francisco. If you get a chance to live in the City, take it and live there for as long as you can. It’s incredible. I should mention that there are some pretty amazing Mexican’s living both legally and illegally in California. They too add something unique to the Californian culture that is missing in Canada.

Living in the Bay Area, in Northern California is a dream! There’s always something to do. You’re right on the ocean. The food is great. The sports are amazing! Check out www.sfgate.com to get a feel for what it’s like in San Fran.