A commentary by a ­Victoria native who now lives in ­California.

I was born here, right here in Victoria. From being carried across Vancouver Island in my mother’s arms to being taken camping at a very young age, the love of this place is woven into my DNA.

Though life eventually took me elsewhere, this island has never stopped being home in my heart.

Later, I returned as a young adult, drawn back by the pull of home. I attended the University of Victoria, lived in the dorms, and walked these familiar streets with the excitement of building my own future. I believed in the quiet goodness of this place.

Today, I come back again. I now live in California but return to the place where my roots are deep, to visit my aging parents, and to share with my daughters the magic I once knew. Instead, I find a city that barely masks its contempt for outsiders, even its own.

Each time I drive around town, with my California licence plate clearly visible, I am met with open hostility. Flipped off. Honked at. Glared at. Shaken heads of disgust. Not once or twice, but almost every time I leave the house.

I understand there is political tension in the world........

© Times Colonist