I've lived away from the golden state for a few years now but you can never forget your roots.

1. Mexican food is a religion.

"I don't like burritos" is not a phrase in your vocabulary, nevertheless a phrase you can even comprehend. Southern California does Mexican food differently then the rest of the country, and to us? There's no better Mexican food to be found unless you actually went to Mexico. Which, like, you could. It's literally right there.

2. There's always the beach.

Can't find anything to do on another 75 degree Saturday? There's always the beach. Even if you live an hour inland, Southern California has at least one beach nearby that is worth the drive. From Malibu to San Diego, there's nothing like it.

3. "Have you met any celebrities?"

There seems to be this notion that there are celebrities are a common sighting in Southern California. By no means am I gonna typically spot Adam Levine or Kylie Jenner grabbing some coffee on a daily basis, a chance sighting does happen every once in a while if you happen to be at the right place and the right time.

4. "Kale smoothies. Health food. You must eat organic?"

Besides the celebrity sighting stereotype, there's also the idea that southern Californians are organic health nuts. I won't lie, I've stepped foot in my share of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. And maybe I did try a juice cleanse once. But I promise we like to binge on our favorite unhealthy snacks just as much as you do-- Southern California has a long list of amazing restaurants that can cure just about any sweet tooth.

5. There's no place like home.

There's no place in the world like Southern California, and I'm happy to be one of the few that got to grow up in one of the most unique places in the world.