“Culture shock” is something you expect when you move to a foreign country, not to a neighboring state. After all, how different can you be when you speak the same language and eat the same bird on Thanksgiving? The answer is very, very different. New York City is such a unique place that moving anywhere else in the country after life here is like moving to a different planet. Here are some culture shocks any New Yorker experiences after leaving the greatest city on Earth.

1. Everybody Can Drive - Except For You.

I personally can’t drive and never felt the need to. Learning to drive in New York is more difficult than elsewhere because we get our permits later and most schools don’t offer driver’s education courses. Not only is learning how to drive difficult, it’s impractical. Even though the public transportation system in my neighborhood isn’t the greatest, it’s still more convenient to take the bus to school than to desperately look for parking in Flushing before class. I didn’t realize how strange not being able to drive is until I came to Vermont. Sometimes, it seems like every other person I meet has a car on campus. I never realized how much the car is a part of American culture and could never relate to kids in movies who whined about how their parents would not buy them a car. All I ever wanted was an unlimited MetroCard.

2. Everything is slower. Much slower.

My biggest shock during my first week of college was not being away from home, but the fact that nobody honked at me when I took too long to cross the street. In general, people are not in much of a hurry and do not think twice about stopping me on the street to compliment my hair or have a chat in the grocery store. I do not mind this change of pace and I've noticed that my walking speed has decreased significantly because I like to take in my surroundings and window shop. There is something to be said for taking the time to get to know people and enjoy your environment, and I enjoy letting go of my New York need to be in a hurry all the time.

3. New York has so much more cultural diversity than the rest of the country.

We don’t understand how lucky we are to grow up in New York and experience so many different cultures until we leave. We all danced to Sean Paul and “Gasolina” at middle school parties even though the lyrics were incredibly inappropriate. When we were finally allowed off-campus for lunch, we wasted all our money on halal food, empanadas and bubble tea. My friends that come from other, more rural parts of the country never had those experiences, and I feel bad for them. I finally understand my friend who moved to Long Island when we were twelve then called me in a panic, screaming, “They don’t understand what H-Mart* is!”

*H-Mart is a Korean grocery store loved by most New York kids for its snacks. Pocky sticks and Ppushu Ppushu are really popular.

4. There is a New York accent. And everybody will make fun of you for having it.

I say “deadass” to answer a question, ask a question, confirm something, provide emphasis and basically fill any other use I may have for it. A Vermont winter is “brick city” and a party can sometimes be “lit.” I don’t drink cawfee but I do drink hot chawklit. Every other word I say is a curse and I speak ten times faster than everybody else. Deal with it.

5. America is much more diverse than you thought.

There is no “American culture” because there are so many distinct regional cultures, cuisines and dialects. From New England to the Deep South to California, we all have our own idiosyncrasies and our firm belief that our hometown is the best...