[Laerkin]

Where I come from...

...my high school principal surfed every morning before school. He drove an old yellow VW Bug and rode around with the board on top - in case the swells were awesome enough to head back after work.

...Christmas is a time for flip flops and a thin sweater, Christmas lights wrapped around palm trees, and snow is something you see only see on TV.

...cutting school meant racing to the beach for a day of seeing and being seen.

...everyone got a brand new car for their 16th birthday - usually a convertible (except for the handful of us that were middle-class - I got a used 1984 Cavalier in yellow with solid black vinyl interior).

...it's called a freeway (not a highway), it's called "THE 5" or "THE 15" when referring to said freeway, and no matter how much you resist - a touch of Valley Girl sneaks into your speech.

...Round Table Pizza, hole-in-the-wall Mexican joints, In-n-Out burger, and sun-baked unsweetened iced tea are a staple of survival.

...everyone thinks it a liberal place but it's actually very conservative in an odd way.

...kids in high school frequently get plastic surgery as birthday and graduation presents from their parents, looks are more important than skill or intelligence (though those are valued, too, if you're lucky enough to be blessed with both), and education is the highest standard (I was lucky in this way).

...people are nice, everyone is relaxed and social, and the speed is much more chill than my current location on the East Coast.