I Want to Clarify Something: Calabasas, My Complicated Hometown

cbr, 2025 - #nowplaying. - Blackout - Breathe Carolina

cbr, 2025 - #nowplaying. - Blackout - Breathe Carolina

Hey there, fellow truth-seekers and context-lovers.

Let’s get real for a moment. My recent blog post mentioning “thank you Calabasas” has stirred up some interesting interpretations, and I want to set the record straight. When I say “Calabasas,” I’m not talking about my high school class of 2011 – I’m talking about the actual place, Calabasas, California, spanning from 1998 to 2025.

Unfiltered Truth

Here’s the thing: Calabasas and I have a complicated relationship. I left high school not because of some nostalgic attachment, but because the culture at Calabasas High School felt suffocating. The “dogman” culture – that performative, hyper-masculine posturing that passes for social currency – was repulsive to me even then.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s nice to visit. I’ll grab a coffee, appreciate the California sunshine, maybe even enjoy a moment of geographical nostalgia. But the elitism? The performative lifestyle? That’s a hard pass from me.

What Calabasas Represents

For me, Calabasas isn’t just a place. It’s a symbol of a certain type of cultural performance – a place where appearance often trumps substance, where social status is currency, and where authenticity can feel like a rare commodity.

Deeper Perspective

When I say “thank you Calabasas,” I’m acknowledging a complex truth. This place shaped me – not by embracing me, but by showing me exactly what I didn’t want to become. It was a crucible of sorts, a place that taught me more about who I didn’t want to be than who I did.

Note to My Hometown

To Calabasas: You were my teacher in the art of resistance. Of staying true. Of understanding that real worth isn’t about zip codes or designer labels, but about genuine human connection.

Stay curious. Stay humble. Stay connected.

— Mitchell Royel