I spent most of my life living in the suburbs of Los Angeles. As a child, I was surrounded by its diversity and unique culture, but never noticed it. Los Angeles was just a place I lived, yet it never felt like home. It was just another large city. Millions flock to the palm tree, star studded “city of angels,” but I never understood why. After moving to northern California I was bombarded with L.A. cynicism. Many of the students form northern California criticized Los Angeles. To them, the city was a dirty clump of people, smog, traffic, and waste. It wasn’t until I starting evaluating these negative assumptions that I began to appreciate the city. Los Angeles is not just a polluted desert with palm trees. The appeal of a sundry metropolis littered with a vast array of personalities, lifestyles, cultures, and ideologies was exciting. I realized that the millions move to L.A. not just for the weather, but for the culture and the pursuit of dreams. As I reentered this city I became one of those millions; I was finally able to see the unique personality of Los Angeles—the city I now call home.