Orange County.  The name itself wouldn’t have meant too much to many people outside its county limits a decade ago.  Sure, it has been home to the likes of Disneyland, Angel Stadium, and its beautiful beaches for far longer than that, but really it wasn’t until the likes of films like Orange County and television series like The O.C. and Laguna Beach came along that Orange County took on a new sort of persona.  It went from a county once filled with orange groves to a place known for its wealth of beauty, and the wealthy and beautiful who live here.  The “Orange County Bubble” is a term frequently used by its natives to denote the distinction between the OC and the remainder of Southern California – and really, just about ANYWHERE else you could find yourself.  Thing is, there’s far more to this collection of 34 incorporated cities, approximately 3,121,251 residents, and countless resources than its glossy exterior presents.

Once you peel back the Orange Curtain, there’s a thriving community of people whose diversity is hard to match, and whose heart is even tougher to duplicate.  With great resources, there is great power – and fortunately, the power to do good.  Orange County houses a variety of organizations who do just that.  From non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity and Rock of Africa, to the faith communities of Saddleback Church, Rock Harbor, and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Orange County has a heart that’s far from skin deep.

I was born in England and raised there up until I was 6, but I have spent at least 15 of my 24 years living in Orange County.  I must admit, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with it in the past.  Now, though, after living on the east coast as well as in the south for a brief stint, I have a far deeper love of this place I have learned to call home.  Now, I live near the beach in Costa Mesa and I work in Irvine – what has come to be the business hub of Orange County.  My life is hardly stoic.  It is volatile and challenging, and blessed with the presence of friends, family, and a Boston Terrier I call Asher.  Together, we do this thing called life, in the bubble called Orange County.  I’ll be exploring the lesser publicized facet of the OC – it’s non-profit organizations and the people who drive them on towards the greater good.

Natalie writes at The Ramblings of a Muse. You can also follow her on Twitter.