I second this. Don't be swayed by what you see and read in the media. Silicon Valley isn't a place for everyone and can be incredibly stressful. On the bright side, it's a very diverse place with tons of stuff to do, great weather, smart people and is easily one of the best places in the US (IMO anyway).
A friend wanted to become a lawyer in LA (he's not American). He travelled there once, and he changed his mind about that for some reason. That saved him some time from starting to study American law, I guess.
