LA vs GDL

I was talking to an American today and I was asking what it was about Guadalajara that I didn't like, that I couldn't quite put my finger on, that differed from St. Louis - not just because we're in Mexico, but something different. It seems like people go through the motions here, a lot of continuity, not as much community as I'd expected. It's really Mexico, yet it feels somewhat generic. He said, well, it's because it's the Mexican version of Los Angeles. Having visited LA last summer, it made perfect sense. I liked LA to visit, but got the impression it would be difficult to live there. Here, it is cheaper, but the feel is the same, the traffic is the same... I'm looking forward to mixing it up and seeing the beach for the remainder of this "trip."

That all being said, I like Guadalajara for many reasons too. There is a surprising amount of different types of people here, that seem to coexist much more naturally than in any place I've seen in the U.S. People also seem less judgmental, even if people here are generally more religious.