I moved to Texas from California. I was nervous to live here, but the people are friendlier than I expected.

• Brianna Mckiddy and her husband moved in August from Southern California to Houston.
• She expected some judgment from the locals, but she's been welcomed with open arms.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brianna Mckiddy, a 34-year-old educational consultant in Houston. Insider has verified her employment. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was born and raised in Southern California, but in early August, I moved to Houston with my husband.

I thought I'd live in California for my entire life, but then I started having second thoughts about my job, and my fiancé got a job offer at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. So moving seemed like the right decision for us.

We've now lived in Houston for three months, and I feel pretty optimistic about it.

I loved my job in California

My career in California was teaching high-school English, and I loved it. But the job started to get a little intense over the past few years, when an evangelical church started moving to take over my local school board in order to change the way the school was run.

It was a tumultuous time to be a teacher in that district. My fiancé got his job offer then, so it felt like the right time to leave.

I left my job and took a position in educational consulting in Houston. I miss teaching, but I like my new job and that I'm still involved in education.

I was pretty nervous about what living in Houston would be like

I was worried people in Texas would judge me for being from California. I expected hostility from the locals, but that's not what I got. Thankfully, Houston is a massive city, so it's not like we had to transition from Southern California to a tiny town.

Despite its size, I wasn't expecting how great the food and culture scene would be here. I didn't know there would be so many great restaurants to try and concerts and live events to go to. As a Californian, I don't immediately think of these things when Texas comes to mind, but they're here.

It's been interesting to see how much the church and the concept of religion factor into people's lives here. Liquor stores are closed on Sundays. There's a burger restaurant down the street from me that does a gospel brunch on Sundays, for example. That's something I never saw in California.

It makes sense to me that so many people are leaving California for Texas

I think many Californians are moving to Texas to lower their cost of living. We have an apartment that's twice as big as our apartment in California was, and we pay $600 less for it. It's pretty wild.

But it hasn't all been roses — it's very hot here, and I worry a lot about the gun violence in Texas and the availability and laissez-faire attitude toward firearms. When I hear about shootings nearby, it shakes me up.

I honestly think about the potential for gun violence every day. During most interactions I have with strangers, I wonder whether they're carrying.

The people are so friendly

Southern hospitality is definitely a thing, and Houston is a youthful city, which is great.

In the news and on social media, it seems like a lot of Texans are tired of Californians moving to their state, but they've been lovely to me. But I am looking forward to changing the California license plate on my car so that I don't stick out as much. No one has ever commented on it, but it still worries me.

I really miss the beaches and the mountains in California. There's nothing like living right next to a beach. The nature in California can't be beaten, but Texas is home now.

I think it's worth a shot for other people considering moving here. You may be surprised like I was.