Nostatic,
I left Silicon Valley in the mid-90's and moved back to the area I came there from in the mid-80's, Texas.
I find that everyday life & everyday outlook is waaaaay more optimistic here than in the wheeler-dealer, fast moving, gotta have it and NOW! world of Sunny Cal. I loved it there in a lot of ways, but it is a largely artificial environment, and can only be seen clearly from outside...
So, I would advise you to try to find a way to sample life some where EAST of the left coast states for a while, before giving up on us all completely...