Hope in the Ashes

California has always been a land of contrasts—breathtaking beauty and unpredictable challenges. In our last blog post, I shared some hidden gems from both the northern and southern regions of this state, a place we've called home for over 35 years. From rugged coastlines to serene deserts, we are fortunate to live surrounded by such natural splendor. Yet, as the recent So Cal wildfires remind us, the cliffs that meet the ocean or the forests that touch the sky—and feel eternal—can be fragile.

Amidst the heartbreaking images of destruction and displacement—our friends, their animals, and entire communities in chaos—we came across a poem by a writer and lifelong Los Angeles resident. It stood out as a message of hope, a reminder that even in loss, there’s resilience and renewal.

LA, Por Vida🖤

A love letter to where I was born and raised

Tatiana Simonian

Jan 10, 2025

LA is polished and it is messy.

It is opulent mansions and it is candy-colored tiny houses along the side of the freeway in East LA.

It is generational wealth and it is immigrant families with 4 kids in two bedrooms.

It is Michelin meals and it is the best tacos from that guy with the cart on that one corner.

It is the place where your heart was broken beyond repair and it is the place where your dreams came true.

It is a place with some of the most beautiful, fake people you have ever seen (and the natives will always point out that they’re transplants) and it is also a place with some of the realest folks you’ll ever meet.

It’s the place where you partied way more than you ever should have and it’s probably the place where you got sober also.

It doesn’t care how you do things in New York, but it’s also not trying to drive to the Westside (or conversely, the Eastside)

It is the most congested areas with streets so narrow you wonder how a car can fit and it is the sprawling Eaton Canyon with mysterious, whimsical trees that look like Tim Burton dreamed them up himself 💔

It has a big heart, this city that is a litany of juxtapositions.

And it will rebuild.

Those of us who have not lost our homes will carry those of you who have

…and we will help the animals too.

Take heart LA, take heart.

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You can also watch Tatiana Simonian's visual/accessible version of her poem on her IG @tatiana