I've recently discovered the true meaning of a "valley girl" since I started working in the valley last week. There are quite a few differences between the valley, the OC and LA. I haven't yet figured them all out, but I've noticed a few. The biggest difference to me, though, isn't necessarily the people so much as the weather! I need to get my A/C serviced, so I've been rolling down the windows lately, and just as I make my way from the 101 in the Valley to the 405 heading toward LA, the temperature drops about 10-15 degrees around one curve! And, just as I leave the 405 toward Long Beach, another burst of cooler air hits and the temps have gone down 20 degrees from the time I left work to the time I get home! It really is crazy to experience. As pretty as all those mountains are in the valley, I'm much happier being near sand and ocean, profitting from the cooler temps.