KPCC listener Julie felt drawn toward SF, but it was LA that became home

NO PLACE LIKE L.A. IS OUR SERIES THAT ASKS L.A. TRANSPLANTS AND IMMIGRANTS: "WHEN WAS THE MOMENT YOU FELT THAT LOS ANGELES WAS TRULY HOME?"

THIS IS THE STORY OF JULIE WARD IN PASADENA WHO'S ORIGINALLY FROM FRESNO.

Growing up in central California, I always felt like you could go one of two ways: You could either go to San Francisco, or you could go to Los Angeles. 

I always fell on the San Francisco side of the divide.

San Francisco is iconic. It's beautiful, it was moody, a little dark, but also light and bright like a jazz song.

L.A. was just sunshine and girls in bikinis, the beach, hot and flat. That was like a cheesy pop song.

I went to school in Orange County and ended up staying here. L.A. was, in my mind, a detour, still always thinking that I'd end up in San Francisco.

But one day I sitting in traffic on Franklin Ave. in Hollywood. I was going to meet some friends. 

My windows were open, my sun roof was down. And all of a sudden, I smelled this smell of flowers. It was like a honeysuckle flower smell.

I looked out the window and there was the most beautiful sunset. The sky was, like, painted with purple and orange. The breeze was rustling through the palm trees and I was listening to the traffic.

Suddenly I got this very comforting feel that washed over me. Like, even though I never really figured that I'd end up here, this is where I live.

This is home.

TELL US YOUR STORY, TOO. IF YOU'RE A TRANSPLANT OR IMMIGRANT, WHEN WAS THE MOMENT YOU THOUGHT TO YOURSELF, "L.A. FEELS LIKE HOME, NOW?"