Menlo Park is a quiet suburban town. Bushy green trees line the streets where families have settled to raise their children. Centered in the heart of the Silicon Valley, yet hidden. Menlo Park defies the image of the Silicon Valley as an area defined by the a fast paced technology driven lifestyle. Even the grand headquarters of Facebook sits peacefully among the vast salt marshes and dry hills that border the murky blue San Francisco Bay. Menlo Park may seem colorless on the surface, but it’s really a place characterized by the diversity of the people who live there. While most of the town is made up of wealthy, white suburban families, the east side of the town is a mix of Mexicans, African Americans and Pacific Islanders. It’s a town caught between the dangerous ghetto of East Palo alto. and the polished suburban image, yet a place where friendly families can settle in peace. I feel like I belonged there growing up but as I become older I know I no longer can live the reserved life that defines Menlo Park.