Okay, don't think I'm stupid if you've all already figured this out, but I just realized the other day "Dear California" is like "Dear John" --the quintessential break up letter. People refer to break up letters as a "dear John". I also think there was a show or a song for a tv show once that started "dear John, dear john, by the time you get this note, I'll be gone" With this in mind, she's not saying goodbye to the state, but the person who she is leaving in that state (this I already knew but thought I'd add here anyway)