Upon graduating from high school in California, I, along with countless others in my graduating class, decided to make the 3,000-mile journey across the country to attend college on the East Coast. Having lived my whole life in California, I wanted to explore a new region of the country and attending school far from home seemed like the perfect way to achieve this. After almost two years at school in Middlebury, Vermont, I feel pretty adjusted to the East Coast way of living. However, I still find myself encountering East Coast/West Coast culture clashes on a daily basis:
1. Having to nod along when people describe things with words like "wicked" and "mad," but you have no clue what they're talking about.
2. Trying to decipher what Vineyard Vines is, and why all boys wear it as soon as the weather hits 50 degrees.
3. Similarly, trying to figure out what Lily Pulitzer is, and why all the girls wear it as soon as the weather hits 50 degrees.
4. Being asked if you've ever seen snow before when it snows for the first time all year (I have).
5. People expecting you to come back super tan when you go home for winter break when, in reality, it was in the 50s and raining the whole time.
6. People assuming that if you're from California, your skin should have some magical tanning properties, so when you come back from spring break super burnt they are confused and make fun of you for looking like a lobster.
7. People thinking all you do is surf and go to the beach, but you live in NorCal, an hour from any beaches, and the Pacific Ocean is always freezing cold anyways.
8. Having no idea how to order at Dunkin' Donuts because they put the milk in for you.
9. Nailing down a Panera order during the first week so you have a go-to for road trips.
10. Eating Shake Shack and immediately comparing it to In-N-Out.
11. People saying "that's so California" to anything you do even when it's not specific to California at all.
12. Being completely mind blown at the fact that you can drive an hour and be in a different state.
13. Always having to wear a slightly less warm jacket than you want to because apparently it isn't acceptable to break out the parka in October.
14. Not knowing whether sunglasses in the winter are a thing, but always being blinded by the sun reflecting off the snow when you walk out of a building.
15. Seeing all your friends from school hanging out over the summer because they all live within a 30-minute radius of each other and getting severe FOMO.
16. Getting an influx of "Happy New Year" snaps over winter break, but it's only 9 p.m. and you're not even at the party yet.
17. Telling people from home you go to school in Vermont and they either laugh, or think it's in Canada.
18. Trying to represent your Bay Area sports teams but everyone only cares about the Bruins/Red Sox/Yankees/Rangers.
19. Making a conscious effort to alter your vocabulary so that you don't use words that no one understands or that people make fun of.
20. Driving in snow for the first time and having absolutely no idea what you're doing and your depth perception is thrown off by the snow flakes flurrying in the windshield.
21. Pretending it's tough to be a Californian on the East Coast, but secretly loving every second of it.
