My older brother was born on the West Coast Calif (San Luis Obispo), grew up & went to college (UCLA) in Los Angeles; and went to Medical School in Lawrence Kansas (KU). He's now practicing in
Boonville Missouri (in the boonies!!!) --about as "middle-of-the-country" as you can get, and doesn't Scuba dive anymore (his wife is from Boonville which explains everything!). . . but is absolutely happy with wife & kids being landlocked out there.
I had an initial offer of employment transfer to Andersen Air Force Base Guam last year --at the hub of the best tropical diving in SE Asia/Oceania-- but the contract also called for an additional year, with hazardous duty bonuses, at Bagram Air Force Base --Afghanistan!!! Thanks but no thanks --turned the offer down. . .
So I'm still "stuck" here, diving in "freezing cold" Southern California homewaters
!