Los Angeles, I cannot quit you.

[amelialourdes]

Disneyland as a youngster.

It's going to be a ridiculous temperature next week in my city. It is the holidays and I don't know why this damn city isn't cooperating. When it's 80 degrees, it doesn't feel like Christmas. I despise the heat and yes, I do feel bad for everyone who's experiencing harsher, cold temperatures and I wouldn't want to live in that kind of extreme either. But, let me reiterate, I hate the heat. I can't take off my skin when it's hot but I can shed a jacket if it gets warm while it's cool outside. But, it's my city. I grew up here. I'm used to here. I'm comfortable here. This is my home so even though there's that one element of this city I don't like, I'll get over it, and take it for what it is. It does cool down here, sometimes. It's funny because me and my best friend feel the same way about our cities. She lives in San Francisco and isn't a fan of the cold and I live here and dislike the heat. Still, these are our cities.

There are a lot of things I love about Los Angeles. Zachary Quinto recently said in an interview that our city is soulless. I completely disagree, Zachary Quinto. I think when people think of Los Angeles, they think of what they see on television. And, sure, if you're in a particular segment of the entertainment industry where the focus is on aesthetic and who you know and superficiality, yeah, that's soulless. But there's more to Los Angeles than if you're an actor or an agent or vying for this role and that role.

Southern California is huge. Where else can you go to the beach and snowboarding or skiing in the mountains on the same day? Where else can you go get your morning coffee and run into the paparazzi trying to stalk Miley Cyrus who's standing in line behind you? Where else do you go to work and run into your favorite celebrities? Los Angeles, for me, is about variety. When I was living in Sacramento, I flew down five times throughout the year just to be able to go to a few concerts since it's rare that artists I like come to Sacramento.

In front of the Chinese theater as a tot.

Los Angeles isn't for everyone. It can be a city where one feels isolated. It's true, we don't have the interaction that one would in spaces where you're forced (or not forced) to interact with one another. We like our space out here and that can make the city a very solitary one for someone who doesn't have ties here. But, that changes. You meet people just like you would anywhere else. You meet people at concerts, grocery stores, walking down the street. We like our cars and we're a traffic-congested city. Most of the carpool lanes are empty because everyone travels in their own car to a place they need to be. But we also like singing at the top of our lungs while you're stuck in that traffic.

I don't have that problem here. I have my family here and I know if I ever needed them, they would be here for me. I know others aren't as lucky and usually we say goodbye to the transplants when the holidays come. Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas are when the roads are a little more sparse than they were just the previous week. But people stay and make this their home because it feels like home and it feels like the city they love. So, Los Angeles isn't for everyone but don't judge it by what you hear or what you think you know from television. Enjoy it when you're here and have a good time doing something fun!