The fact that I am writing this blog today in one of my second homes’ patio right under the sun a few days before Columbus Day might have something to do with it. 85 degrees Fahrenheit / close to 30 degrees Celsius to start a work week in the fall season is pretty engaging, and my recent encounters only add to the local sentiment that anything is possible. Coming out of the Bulgari exhibition, I stopped for ice cream somewhere in the Golden Gate Park. Chatting with other expat friends, our language got caught by other French expats. They said hello and finally sat down to chat with us. They were another example of both the brain drain from the wine and cheese country, and why California has become a magnet for the ones who dare trying their luck at crafting their life around like-minded people.

Yes, they are from a younger generation, and their attitude shows that eagerness which, now, benefits from more accessible information. Their point of view is straightforward: nothing, or so little, to lose. Also, their decision-making process is often better informed (they sometimes are the ones creating and managing the way what they need to know is delivered too). They are picky, yet want to try everything that makes sense to them, and that can make them grow as well. And off they go, composing, digging, testing, refining… and rising. These are not statistics: they are facts, from everyday life, and not just in California (although the Western state seems to attract most of them, and not just in the Silicon Valley). Loïc Le Meur is one of many French expats successful in the region: he has naturally become a reference for other e-crafters wanting to relocate here.

With this influx of smart and bold intellect on the market, making it super competitive, others, if they want to keep up, have to adjust: with knowledge (since it is power), talent and another degree of determination. That makes the rush to learn more and better even greater (another e-craft that has been booming out of California-based startups). This may look like a self-feeding bubble from the outside, it actually influences the rest of the world, be it in the work environment (choice of furniture, its colours and settings, for instance) or in the real work-life balance motto. It is spreading, fast. It questions older theories and shakes some egos (regardless of the seniority). Yes, it may very often be about business around here, and it can get tiring when one just wants to live in a simple way (like tanning on the pier…). Granted: that simple way might very well be crafted into an app right now… Ah, California!

Photo credit © OFL – “SF pier tanning”