Listening to the sunny harmonies of The Beach Boys in my chilly Scottish bedroom with its invariably rain-spattered windows captivated my febrile teenage imagination, transporting me to an imagined California, a thrilling land of endless sunshine and tanned surfers, beaches and palm trees, outdoor swimming pools and convertible sports cars. Six years later, I got the chance to see the place for real when I was selected by my English university to participate in an exchange program to the Golden State. It must be said that I was probably their keenest applicant: My boyfriend at the time was studying architecture at USC, and this was the early 1980s, long before the advent of email and FaceTime. Flimsy airmail letters and one ludicrously expensive phone call a month just weren’t cutting it.

I may have been propelled to California by romance, but fitting in turned out to be harder than I had imagined. We might all have been speaking English, but as is often observed, Britain and America are two countries divided by a common language.

But bit by bit, I acquired a working understanding of “surfspeak” and Valley Girl slang, and my pale Scottish skin achieved a relatively convincing tan. Best of all, I made friends — wonderful friends. And my lifelong love affair with California began. I returned to Europe for a while, but my passion for California never abated.

Over the years, another song about the Golden State that I had loved since adolescence began resonating more deeply: The Eagles’ “Hotel California.”

I had always been intrigued by the song’s immortal lines, “You can check out any time you like /But you can never leave.” But it wasn’t until I had lived in California and returned to Europe that I understood. Once you have lived here it is impossible to leave. Even if you depart physically, the memories of California echo through your soul — the light, the ocean, the vibrant cities, the warmth and diversity of its people. California is a vivid fever dream of such beauty and power, it takes root in your heart and is impossible to forget.

The Golden State offers myriad stories, each revealing a new facet of its character. In this issue, we invite you to explore the deeper meaning behind California’s powerful association with beauty, learn how Indigenous knowledge handed down over thousands of years is helping our scholars tackle the growing threat of wildfire, discover forgotten nuggets of California history, muster your courage for an eerie journey through abandoned ghost towns, reflect on what makes California iconic, and take a road trip to some of the state’s quirkiest roadside attractions. We hope you enjoy the ride!

Susan Bell
Editor-in-Chief