paradoxically, i think it feels more distant now than it did when i was much younger. oklahoma or florida — places i have lived and have close friends and family — feel like different countries now, not different states.

— GONELIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) May 25, 2022

Geographical sorting and polarization feedback loops. I agree, though. Socioculturally, places used to feel more alike. Parts of Florida (including parts I used to live in) now feel like foreign, hostile countries. This is true of other states as well. I expect more divergence, too.