When you hear the words, "Southern California," you likely think of the beautiful weather, beaches, and celebrities that characterize the area. These well-known features of SoCal are part of what makes the region so pristine, but there's so much more to it than you might imagine.

I traveled to the Southern California area with my mom last week to visit colleges. Our hotel was located in Santa Monica, one of my favorite cities in existence. We toured the University of Southern California, the University of California- Los Angeles, and the University of California- San Diego. I entered the experience with the mindset that the venture was going to be merely a business trip, but who was I kidding? It's nearly impossible to travel to the Los Angeles area and not have some fun while there. My mom and I were exhausted after each fascinating and detailed tour we attended, so we sometimes just felt like eating dinner at the hotel restaurant and lounging by the warm, saltwater pool. On the nights when we felt more adventuresome, we walked to the Third Street Promenade, a thriving cultural hub in beautiful Santa Monica. One night we just walked around and absorbed the various cultures that were present on the street. In a matter of an hour, my mom and I dined at an authentic Italian restaurant, saw an Indian woman performing a traditional dance on the street, watched in awe at a man doing tricks with a soccer ball, and listened to a guitarist playing soothing renditions of the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and The Script's "Breakeven." My mom, being the incredibly kind and generous woman that she is, slipped a few dollars into several of the street performers' jars. We had a truly amazing time in Santa Monica.

Amicability, which can be difficult to find in some of the more prominent east coast cities, is commonplace in California. Every worker, no matter where we were, was polite and courteous. The man who helped us obtain our rental car was very friendly, and our bus driver on the way back to the airport started a conversation with me about my future college and career goals, which made the ride much more enjoyable. There's something so relaxing about Southern California (unless you're dealing with the traffic); the beautiful and consistent weather, the friendliness exhibited by the residents, and the multicultural ambiance work in unison to make SoCal such a desirable place to be. I will definitely be applying to the University of Southern California this fall, and the thought of attending school in California enthralls me. I just wish it were closer to home