Spain is terrific. I love the work/life balance there, and the fact that people place huge importance on spending time with family and friends.

The aspects of California that you mention in this piece are not limited to California. They are very much the traits you can find all over the USA: being identified by your job, being overworked, food quality, infrastructure, health care, care of clothing, and tipping. That doesn't vary within the USA, as those practices are very much the same from state to state.