#87, 89, & 93: Finish your year right by listening to our round up of our favorite HTLA stories this year. Up first is the DACA series, featuring host Brian De Los Santos's story of visiting his birth country of Mexico for the first time since he was 2 years old.

Original episode descriptions below.

#87: Brian is surprised by a letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It’s his Advance Parole document. He can travel to Mexico – his country of birth – for the first time in 30 years. The days ahead become a sprint to prepare and make travel plans. He only has a month to return to the U.S., or he could lose DACA and be denied reentry.

"Finding Home con DACA" is a special three-part series from LAist Studios and How To LA. Part 1 follows Brian as he prepares for his journey and dives into the Advance Parole process – all the way through the moment he leaves LA. We'll continue with Brian into Mexico next Thursday in Part 2: "Hecho en Mexico."

Guest: Roberto Gonzales, a professor of sociology at University of Pennsylvania, who has testified before Congress on immigration policy.

Music from this episode composed by: Chris Schlarb, Dexter Thomas, Geir Sundstøl, Mamman Sani, Nicklas Nygren, Old Saw, and Yeahman

#89: How to LA host Brian De Los Santos arrived in the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 2. He found out as a teenager that he was undocumented. Then he got DACA -- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It let him get a driver’s license, get a work permit and helped him build a successful career as a journalist. But even with DACA, Brian wasn’t able to the leave the county to visit even visit family. That is, until he qualified for something called “Advance Parole.”

In part 2 of Finding Home con DACA, Brian finally sets foot in Mexico. His audio diary chronicles what it was like to feel at home, but also feel like an outsider, in the place where he was born. 

Music from this episode composed by: Floating Points, Geir Sundstøl, Modarchive, Yeahman

#93: How to LA host Brian De Los Santos arrived in the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 2. He found out as a teenager that he was undocumented. Then he got DACA - deferred action childhood arrivals. He was able to get a driver’s license, qualify for in state college tuition and establish a path to a good career.

But even under DACA Brian wasn’t able to the leave the county... until he qualified for something called “Advance Parole,” earlier this year. It's a program that allows DACA recipients to travel outside the U.S under certain conditions. Brian had, maybe, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to his country of origin. 

In part 3 of the 3-part series, Finding Home con DACA, Brian returns to Los Angeles. But his ideas of "home" have changed.

Music from this episode composed by: Geir Sundstøl, Modarchive, Natalia Lafourcade, Old Saw, Woo, Yeahman