I grew up in a small beach town on the Central Coast of California. The ocean is only a few minutes away. And, our claim to fame is the picture that pops up when you look up "dive bar" on Wikipedia. (That’s not really our claim to fame, but some of us, like me, think it's funny.) Places like this stay in business here, because there isn’t much else to do. Except go to the beach, or hike. Those are always great options.
I decided at a young age, I wanted to experience a new place when I went to college, and instead of opting for one of the many colleges in Los Angeles or San Francisco, I decided the East Coast would be a great option for me! At the end of last summer I packed up my things, and we took a cross-country roadtrip to move me into Ithaca College.
Once I got there, though, there were a few things I noticed were a little different, so I complied some of those things in a list.
1. Everybody smokes cigarettes.
Not really everyone, but more than I’m used to. It’s almost as if the memo that cigarettes can cause cancer and kill you, just hasn’t quite reached the East Coast. In my hometown, you can’t smoke indoors or within 20 feet of a public building. So, you basically never see people who smoke, and when you do, it’s only at a private residence, so it can be avoided if you choose. Upon my first couple weeks in Ithaca, I was taken by surprise when I saw so many people smoking.
2. Flip-flops apparently aren’t real shoes.
I’ve definitely been told that flip-flops aren’t real shoes. And, my response, is always the same, “You’re insulting my people.” In California, or at least on the West Coast, flip-flops are always the shoes of choice. Even if you’re going to a wedding, but it's pretty likely that wedding is on the beach.
3. There aren’t five Mexican restaurants in each town.
I live for Mexican food, and when I headed East for the first time I knew it wouldn’t be as common as it is at home, but I’m used to Mexican food right around the corner, down the street or just a few blocks away. And, you really know you’re in California when there is one Mexican restaurant and another one right across the street.
4. There’s water on the East Coast.
I’m sure just about everyone has heard about the drought in California. We take our water, or lack thereof, pretty seriously. At least in my family, we’ve got these cool little buckets that catch the extra water in the shower, while the water’s warming up. No wasting water for us! But, within my first week in Ithaca, I saw people emptying water tubs on to the grass. Still not wasting it, but still not something we would do in “Drought Country.”
5. Everything is just so green.
At least, until it’s not. This again goes along with the whole water thing. Everything is brown on the West Coast. But, on the East Coast the trees are full and green. Until they aren’t. They turn all those pretty fall colors, then all the leaves are gone, and they’re covered in snow.
6. Everyone cares here.
About basically everything. People in California, and probably most of the West Coast, are just really laidback, and that’s cool, but no one really gets too excited about anything. People from the East Coast care more, about mostly everything. Keep it up East Coasters — you’re doing it right.
7. Everyone dresses better.
Simple as that, people just dress better on the East Coast. I learned pretty quickly that wearing your pajamas outside just doesn’t cut it. However, that may be due to the whole snow thing.
8. When they say you need layers, they actually mean it.
And, on that note, you know that jacket you think will keep you warm in the snow? Yeah, buy a warmer one. And then wear four jackets and a long sleeve shirt under that one. Those of us that were raised on the West Coast weren’t made to survive those cold East Coast winters.
9. Your face hurts when you go outside in the winter.
And by hurt, I mean ache from the cold air. Thick scarves wrapped around your entire face are 100 percent a necessity. That just doesn’t happen in California.
10. The snow is not a location or destination.
The snow is just everywhere. And by everywhere, I mean two feet underneath you and everywhere in your line of sight. In California, you’ve got to drive many hours to get to the snow, so we say things like, “I’m going to the snow.” Or, as I used to say, “I’ve never been to the snow.” I can now say I’ve both been to the snow, and lived in it.
11. And along the same lines, the beach IS a location.
To me, the beach is less of a destination and more of a place I can to walk a couple blocks to get to. I guess when you grow up a few blocks from the bay and only a five-minute drive to the nearest beach, it’s something you become pretty accustomed to. But, when I moved to Upstate New York, people talked about their family vacations to the beach. Traveling to the beach is like a whole new world.
12. Avocados.
One may eat guacamole on the East Coast, but one does not fully appreciate the avocado as we do California. Eating plain avocados is something we do on the regular. We love them, and they love us! Just slice that thing in half and grab a spoon. It’s a pretty great lunch. You should try it!
13. Earthquakes.
Contrary to popular opinion on the East Coast, earthquakes aren’t really that terrible or scary or catastrophic. Until they are. We deal with them, they happen pretty often. In fact, I’m pretty sure there was a small one today, my last day in California for the summer. They’re only scary when they last longer than 15 seconds, and even then, we have a lot of earthquakes, and we’re prepared for them. While East Coasters only ever have fire drills, we have fire AND earthquake drills.
14. It’s not Cali.
It’s California. In California, we call it California. Basically everywhere else, people call it Cali, and that's really weird to us West Coast folk.
But, despite all these differences, I feel at home on the East Coast. It’s like my uncle always says, “the East Coast is the right coast."
