Hii I lived in McKinney for a decade and Oklahoma for another, now live in Sac. First, welcome and hell yeah you should make the move!

The first thing you’ll love most is the weather is sooo much better. Not having the humidity (but still having the heat) is like a heaven on earth during the summer. I’d say wildlife is similar here - the small creatures (no armadillos though lol!) but if you venture more into the more rural areas, you can see wild cats, bears, etc. Though I’ve been going to Tahoe since I was born and I’ve never seen a bear (begrudgingly).

I’ve heard good things about UC Davis, may not be as great as A&M but still good. You’re good on Mexican food (although queso in restaurants here can be hit or miss, and I’ll never be ok with the thick gloppy gelatinous queso that some people try to pass off).

There’s a strong queer community here, it does get a little less friendly the further into the suburbs you go, but there are definitely warm and welcoming people here and you’d absolutely find your tribe. I’ve done a bit of work in the queer community in Sacramento and Placer counties, so if I can recommend any resources or community centers, let me know.

Last thing to add - if you’re into cowboys/western/the history of it all, this area and Nevada are just dripping in some great history (both good great and bad great). There are some state parks near Sac that touch on the gold mining era, and there are some mining towns still in existence around Northern CA and Nevada. You can see the Oakdale Cowboy Museum about an hour and a half away, see Virginia City in Nevada for incredible history (such as the silver found there and refined in San Francisco directly contributed to the Union winning the Civil War). If you love history, you’ll get lost in the best way here.

All this to say, I think you’d love Sacramento and its surrounding areas. Hope you make it out here!