FUTURE JARHEADS MOTIVATING BLOG

Since many of you who serve in the Marine Corps will end up stationed in California or will pass through here for your training, it is important to at least know some of the basics about this great state. I can’t help but to notice the many ignorant comments made by outsiders who obviously have no clue as to what California is all about. Hopefully this writing will answer some of your questions and will enlighten you about life out in this hellish paradise known as California.

First off many non-Californians love to refer to this state as “Cali.” Well not only does that sound lame, but many Californians hate that reference. The majority of the people from California do not call it Cali and if they do, a slap to the face is legal in most counties. Just don’t call it Cali.

Secondly, Los Angeles does not equal California. L.A. is only one city of many throughout the state. Los Angeles or any other city does not represent California as a whole. The state of California has many large cities such as San Diego, Anaheim, Riverside, Long Beach, Fresno, Bakersfield, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, and many more. California if placed on the east coast would stretch from Georgia to upper Pennsylvania, therefore you will find a wide range of very diverse areas and your experience will vary from region to region. The biggest mistake foreigners make in regards to California is that they assume it is a one dimensional state and they base their views off of what is shown in movies or on television. Even many locals have no clue as to how diverse their state is and many residents will never venture past their city limits. The more of the state that you experience, the more you will appreciate it for what it is, so don’t be in such a rush to judge something based on your brief visit.

People often assume that California is just one large state with masses of people and traffic all around. This could not be further from the truth. Basically you can break the state down into four main parts. You have Northern CA, Central CA, Southern CA, and Coastal CA. Each region will vary and each will leave you with a different outlook/opinion on California.

The northern portion of California resembles Montana or Wyoming and is a very peaceful area with very few people who live on acres of land or in very rural communities. There are no traffic jams or masses of people up there. It is some of the most beautiful isolated country in America and it is believed to be the home of Big Foot, so watch out. It is in this region where you will find legalized pot farms and many hippie types who enjoy being as far away from big brother as humanly possible.

Then we have the great Central Valley which produces much of America’s food. This area is massive and is nothing but mile after mile of rich farmland. Much of central CA resembles Iowa, or Kansas in the sense of its flat lands and very spread out homes with the occasional larger city mixed in between. You name it and it is probably grown in the Central Valley. Farm after farm, orchard after orchard, without the Central Valley I think it is safe to say the USA would be hurting for food, especially during the winter.

Southern California, home to about 60 percent of California’s population, roughly some 23 million people and I am sure many more illegal people is easily the most interesting region in the world. From the low deserts to the high deserts these areas produce very hot summers and cool mild winters. Despite this region being mainly a desert, there are many mountains in this area that get plenty of yearly snow. Most of the population in SOCAL can be found in the Greater Los Angeles area and in the San Diego Area. Much of Southern California is just desert with very little activity and low populations. The Marine Corps has several bases in SOCAL which vary in location and will therefore offer very different lifestyles. MCLB Barstow and 29 Palms are two bases located in the rural desert while Camp Pendleton , MCRD SD and MCAS Miramar are located near the coast in an urban environment. These two worlds are very different despite being in the same geographical region. This should show you just how diverse this state is, especially the southern region.

The many coastal communities up and down the state are some of the most beautiful places known to man. From the many areas throughout the county of San Diego, to the Santa Barbara area the views are breathtaking. Heading north to Monterey and then Santa Cruz, these areas are a vacationer’s dream and usually very affluent areas. Many wineries can be found along the coast along with many empty beaches.

You can experience most of anything you find anywhere in the USA in California. From hunting, to river rafting, to national parks, to world famous skiing, this state has it all. From the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to Death Valley, the extremes will be felt. From the Great Redwood trees in the north, to the majestic boulders and waterfalls at Yosemite, the mind will be amazed at these unique sites. And when it comes to sports the Golden State has well over ten professional sports teams and many more outstanding college teams. Think about that folks. There are five MLB teams in California. This should tell you how massive this state is and how populated it is. Universities such as USC, UCLA, Cal-Tech, Stanford, and Cal Berkely lead the way in education. There are many military bases throughout the state. California is one of only a very few states that contains one active duty base from each branch of service. Many of our black-op programs were created out here just north of Los Angeles and continue to this day. Plus you have JPL located in the LA area which is where NASA controls all of its space machines and a very good target for our enemies to hit.

With a state this large and an even larger population, you will obviously have many problems. The same issues you find in any other state you will also find here, but these issues will usually be about 1,000 times much worse because of the heavy urban areas with masses of people. It should not come as a shock to anyone that California leads the nation in many negative categories and in many positive categories.  When there are nearly 40 million people in your state, you should expect to see and experience things that might make you feel uncomfortable. Most of the state actually has below average crime rates, but when you add in the stats from the larger cities, this makes the entire state seem like one huge ghetto. And as far as politics go: Well once again common sense should tell us that there will be a wide range of views in this state since there are so many people here. No matter the topic, the state is going to be divided since it is such a diverse state. And despite what the media shows, many residents of California are pro-gun, so don’t be so quick to judge an entire state based on what some people say.

California by itself is the world’s eighth largest economy, so remember this fact when you wish badly on this state. The economy out here goes to pay for the many roads you all travel on and also pays for many of the other services you folks use on a daily basis. Most trends in many fields such as education, television, sports, apparel, law enforcement, and technology originate out here and then move on to the rest of the country. For all the negative lip service this state deals with from outsiders, it is amazing to watch the rest of the country as they grasp the many trends that originate out here and then use them to live their lives.

In closing California is not one massive ghetto. It is a very diverse state with many different regions and living or visiting these different regions will leave you with a wide range of views on the state. And yes, we do know how to drive out here, except for one race which I won’t point out. Obviously with this many drivers, there are going to be some bad ones. Once again, judging an entire state based off of what you may have experienced is very ignorant of you. I have driven in over six states and guess what? They all have bad drivers while the majority are good drivers. It is interesting that the richest state in America is also the poorest state. So much wealth in California and it is surrounded by some of the most disgusting ghettos this country has to offer.

But to sum up how diverse California is, think about this: The Marine Corps conducts its desert warfare training out here and several hours away is where it conducts its cold weather mountain warfare training. Last time I checked, there is no other state or location in the world that offers what California has to offer, so suck on that haters.

So the next time you want to spew non-sense about this state, just make sure you aren’t speaking out of your ass and make sure you don’t judge an entire state based off of your limited experience. And don’t forget to enjoy the wide range of foods found out here, especially in SOCAL.