Born in Southern California and then lured back after college, I've spent more than a decade here — first southeast of Los Angeles and now northeast. I've traveled all across the region, down to the border of Mexico and up to San Francisco, journeying through our deserts, forests, beaches, and mountains.
But to some, Southern California is just the sunny land of sandy beaches and palm trees, or the home of celebrities and Hollywood movies.
That picture of California — especially Southern California — speaks very little to the quirks and qualities of the Golden State that only natives like me will understand.
Here are 15 things you'll get if you're from here.