I left California for Texas to begin my new life as a divorcée. It's more affordable as a single woman, and I feel free to express my political and religious beliefs.

• Jackie Burse moved from Orange County, California, to San Antonio, Texas, in 2021. 
• She said that California's high living costs and political homogeneity made it difficult to stay.
• “I'm a conservative and I feel like it's difficult to have any opinions in California other than liberal,” Burse said.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jackie Burse, 58, who left Orange County for San Antonio in 2021. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My name is Jackie Burse and I am 58 years old. I'm a divorced mother of two children and I work as a compliance officer for a real-estate brokerage.