I'm a Californian who moved to Texas for a shot at the American dream. I moved back after 2 ½ years, but I miss Texas.

Courtesy of Kimberly Wilkerson/Getty Images

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kimberly Wilkerson, a 46-year-old self-published author and entrepreneur who moved from Oakley, California, to Austin in 2022. She stayed 2 ½ years before moving back to California to be close to family.