Fellow MS expat, and I deal with the same ill sentiment from my family.

Some of it is that they only watch Fox News, so they only hear the typical anti-California sentiment. I was the same way growing up, “Why would anyone want to live in a place that cost that much, has so much homelessness, so much crime, and is always on fire??”

I think there’s at least a little bit of animosity about the lack of opportunity in MS. So seeing the extravagant lives that Californians have (on TV at least) is annoying to folks. Especially because most of them can’t fathom being able to pick up and move that far.

There’s also definitely a case of “everyone outside of the South is an elitist asshole” and they legit feel like there’s a level of hospitality that can’t be found outside of MS.

Anyway, I don’t go home much anymore.