Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was bizarre to watch it mold into what it is now, and it wasn't for the better. Their crime rate continues to climb the charts, and each visit back home yielded more buildings with wood covered windows and people on street corners selling things. I decided since my last trip back home that I will not return again. In a way, each visit took away from good memories, because now I remember the way it looks now.

I was able to see a bit of Ohio; Columbus, Cleveland (I happened to visit the 'bad' part, oy!), Toledo and a few other areas.

How is the area you live in? I always wondered what it was like in the other parts, after the riot our area just went downhill. Living in California is still a bit of a culture shock, and the prices here are something I will never adjust to. The home I live in now would be worth around 400,000 in Cincinnati and it is 1.2 million here. It should be paid off 20 years after we die. Haha.

I think the best part of moving to such opposite areas was going from sitting on a tree branch looking at the muddy river to sitting in the sand looking at the ocean. The smell and sounds of the ocean here bring me more comfort than words can explain. I don't get into the trendy hype here, I like 'home' and I like my yard. I like to read by the ocean. I know I was meant to be here, and thankfully I came here looking for 'home' and not to be a star. I've seen what happens to those people and it's not pretty most of the time!

If you ever visit southern California, come to Newport Beach. People watching is highly entertaining here. They wear mini skirts with snow boots! I'd have killed for those "Uggs" when I was scraping snow off of my windshield back home, lol.

I agree on Melody, too. I love, love, love reading her stories. It makes me smile every time.